Chaffee County Mentors is committed to strengthening our community by
connecting our young people to purpose and self-worth through postive
mentoring relationships.
Chaffee County Mentors is modeled after Big Brothers Big Sisters of America
and was founded in 2003 through a collaboration of Chaffee County Health and Human Services, Build a Generation, and Salida and Buena Vista School
Districts. In 2006, we joined forces with Nurturing Parenting and Youth at
Crossroads to form Family & Youth Initiatives (FYI), a prevention branch of
Chaffee County Health & Human Services. Under FYI, our research-based
mentoring programs have evolved to meet the unique needs of our community.
COMMUNITY-BASED MENTORING
Volunteer Mentoring
Modeled after Big Brothers Big Sisters of America, Traditional Mentoring
provides one-on-one friendships to approximately 40 local youth ages 7 to
15. Volunteer adult mentors are matched with referred youth and serve as
positive role models, supporters, and advocates. Youth are referred by
teachers, counselors, social workers, and other youth professionals and may
be facing challenges academically, socially, or economically. Volunteer
mentors must be at least 21 years in age, have a genuine interest in young
people, participate in pre-match screening and training, and commit to the
program for at least one year. Mentors and kids have the opportunity to
participate in monthly group activities and other structured benefits
throughout the Chaffee County area. In addition to mentors, volunteers are
always needed to support group activities.
Mentors Plus
Mentors Plus was initiated in 2008 as an additional intervention for youth
ages 14 to 18 who are already involved in a higher level of support in our
community (such as Youth@Crossroads, Probation, or Health & Human Services).
Each youth is matched with a mentor with previous experience working with
adolescents and who is able to spend up to 6 hours per week with their
mentee for a commitment of a year. Mentors+ collaborate with
parents, schools, therapists, caseworkers, probation officers and others to work towards mutually agreed upon goals. Interventions are strengths-based and solution-focused to strengthen resiliency, break barriers, and encourage
change.
SCHOOL-BASED MENTORING
Youth In Action
Youth in Action, initiated in January 2005, empowers middle school students
as literacy mentors for pre-school students through a weekly after-school
curriculum. We meet Mondays in Buena Vista and Wednesdays in Salida and
participate in activities such as reading, crafts, field trips, games, and
guest speakers. Pre-schoolers are signed up by their parents at the start of
each school year. Throughout the year, parents are invited to the last
meeting of each month to join in celebrating that month’s theme. Middle
school students must be recommended by a teacher and complete an application and 6-hour training prior to being matched. They also attend fun on-going trainings and field trips through the year.
Visit Chaffee County Mentors.
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