Welcome to Watershed Mentoring
Making a difference one pair at a time.

About Watershed Mentoring
Watershed Mentoring Events and News
Watershed Mentoring Application Forms
Frequently Asked Questions
Watershed Mentoring Advisry Committee
Partners
Funders

Watershed Mentoring is an adult-youth mentoring program serving school-age children throughout Franklin County. The mission of Watershed Mentoring is to enrich the lives of youth and adults by providing the opportunity to develop positive and caring relationships with fellow community members.

Next mentor training: TBA.

Expand your universe. Mentor a child.

Thank you to everyone who attended our Watershed Mentoring open house and mentoring celebration Sunday afternoon, January 17 at the Swanton Teen Center. We had a blast, thanks to our wonderful mentors, youth, and parents ! And, we were thrilled to have as our guests so many potential mentors--thank you, everyone, for coming out in support of mentoring.

 

 

Match moments

Lisa and Bethney create a manger scene at Christmas time.

Lisa, Bethney, Mav, and Roger show the St. Albans Rotarians what mentoring is all about.

 

Watershed Mentoring belongs to the Vermont Mentor Network.

Become a friend of Watershed Mentoring on facebook.

 

Applications:

Mentor application packet: Click on the forms below to download the packet.
Cover letter
Application form
Interest Survey
Personal references form

Mentee application packet:
Youth application packet

FAQ about Mentoring

What is Mentoring?
Mentoring is a supported, supportive friendship. In a mentor relationship, a helpful friend, usually older, spends time with a youth or peer who could benefit from some companionship and guidance. Watershed Mentoring focuses on community-based, adult-youth mentor matches, where a friendly, positive adult and a school-age child or teen spend about two hours a week doing activities that interest both. Watershed Mentoring also supports school-based mentoring and peer mentoring in partnership with Franklin County schools.

Why mentoring?
For youth who may be struggling in school, have a parent who is incarcerated, or just need some help, mentored youth are more likely than their peers to complete high school and less likely to be absent from school, use alcohol or drugs, or engage in fights and delinquent activities. Mentoring really can make a difference!

What do Mentors and their Matches Do?
Mentors and youth are matched on the basis of common interests. That helps their friendship get started, just like any friendship. So they might play sports or do puzzles, bake cookies, visit the library, have a conversation over a game of cards or a board game, see a movie, cheer on the high school team, build a birdhouse, make bead jewelry, learn a new craft, try out a climbing wall, hike the Rail Trail, learn to snowshoe, read a book...you get the idea. Mentoring does not have to be expensive!

Is mentoring like respite care or foster parenting?
Mentoring is friendship. We always remind our mentors that they are not parents, teachers, guidance counselors, therapists, ATMs, professional shoppers or disciplinarians. Their gift to their matched youth is friendship. Like other friends, their greatest gifts include listening, enthusiasm for life, and a willingness to share time, insights, and dreams.

What is a mentor's commitment?
Studies show that community-based mentoring is most successful when the matches meet about two hours, once a week. We ask our mentors to commit to a minimum of a year, with the expectation that the match will continue beyond that time. At about a year mentoring really begins to have results. Our mentors are also required to participate in training and, once matched, check in regularly so that we can assist with questions that may arise and provide support. Mentors are asked to attend occasional mentor support meetings and group events, where they can meet with other mentors and receive recognition for their effort.

So I think I'd like to be a mentor. How do I get started?
To get started, Watershed Mentoring asks all prospective mentors to complete an application, provide references, and participate in an orientation and interview process. Once the initial application process is completed, all prospective mentors attend a training. Following the training, the mentor is matched with a youth of the same gender who shares some interests with the mentor and lives within a convenient distance of the mentor. To find out more, contact us via email at mentoring@fcccp.org or call 527-5049.

Watershed Mentoring Advisory Committee

Jeff Benay
Roger Bushey
Beth Crane
Dan McCoy
Lisa Thibault

Watershed Mentoring Partners
Schools:
Richford Junior/Senior High School
Swanton School

Organizations:

Businesses:

Funders

Institutional Support:

The Permanent Fund
Mobius, the Mentoring Movement's HHS MCP Project
Amachi Mentoring
Ben & Jerry's
Key Foundation