The Bridge: Kaua'i to College

Here are the recommendations and forms to support your mentoring relationship:

The Bridge New Mentors Orientation

First of all, thanks for your interest! Mentoring has been shown to have significantly positive effects on any student’s life, whether they are struggling or outstanding. The Bridge offers our Kaua’i kids support and guidance in getting to college and succeeding when they arrive!

Role:

Mentoring is about building a relationship with a kid and his or her family. In the context of that relationship, we offer as much helpful information as we can—and when we cannot, we help to seek it out. Our focus is to help families and kids navigate the process of preparing for, applying to, and succeeding in college. (Check out our website: kauaitocollege.org, talk to other mentors, check in with your peer lead!)

Responsibilities:

A one to two hour meeting with your Kid, at least once a month—

Building a relationship means being present regularly and reliably in their lives. We have found that it is best not to leave the initiative for setting these meetings to our Kids—shyness, inexperience, busyness, cultural expectations or lack thereof can all interfere with their ability to carry the ball. We also recommend meeting in a public place. If you meet in their home, please be sure family members are home, too. (You might also try to attend events that are important in your Kid’s life.)

Participate (and help out) during events for The Bridge—

Typically, these include a once a year Gala fundraiser but may also involve special workshops or meetings for subgroups of Kids offered from time to time.  Mandatory meetings are the Quarterly Mentors Meetings and the annual or biannual Gala.  Please also keep in touch with your Mentor Peer Lead (which will be assigned!) and contact Susan Davis if you are experiencing any problems with any of the above!

Bridge between The Bridge and Kids and their parents—

Okay, I’ll be honest with you. Bridging means responding to Bridge emails, texts, or phone calls! (Especially mine or your peer mentor lead.) Sooner rather than later. It means that you are our strongest and most central means of disseminating information and of sharing how things are going for you and for your Kid and their families. We want to ensure that our Kids and their families have the best experience possible, to resolve problems quickly, and to build The Bridge with strength and integrity.  You are the most important part of this organization! We are excited to have you join us!

A’ohe hana nui ke alu ‘ia.

No task is too big when done together by all.

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The Bridge Mentoring Understanding Agreement

As a mentor, I will:

--Meet with you at least once a month for an hour or two, face to face if possible but if not, by phone or videochat.

--Get to know you so that we can craft the college search choices, applications and essays, which best serve your unique self. I will seek to attend events and meet family members and friends as you invite me.

--Hold in confidence the things we discuss, unless you give me permission to share something. I will let you know if I believe there is something we should discuss or follow-up with others.

--Give you my best thoughts and advice and, when I do not know something, work together with you to seek answers.

--Value the free gift of this relationship with you and address any problems that may come directly with you and/or by seeking help from Susan Davis, Ph.D., clinical psychologist and President of The Bridge.

--Do my best to continue with you, as you would like, as you move through high school and beyond.

--Respect you and honor your dreams.

As a student, I will:

--Meet with you at least once a month for an hour or two, face to face if possible but if not, by phone or videochat.

--Understand that you cannot guarantee any particular outcome—for example, but not limited to, entrance in the college of my choice or a good financial aid package.

--Recognize that getting into college, and succeeding when I am there, require the same sustained and hard work on my part.

--Value the free gift of this relationship with you and address any problems that may come directly with you and/or by seeking help from Susan Davis, Ph.D., clinical psychologist and President of The Bridge.

--Although free, my family and I will help support the work of The Bridge in ways we can and I will pay it forward to someone someday when I can.

Some annual events held by The Bridge are mandatory for my participation and help--and sometimes for my parents: the annual or biannual Gala, The College Success Workshop, and sometimes other special events such as a donor thanks dinner or a community celebration.

Is there anything else we might want to agree to together?

______________________________________ ____________________________________

Mentor Student

____________________________________

Parent

______________________________________

Date

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The Bridge Mentor's Meeting Log

Mentor:_________________________

Kid:_____________________________

Meeting Date: __________ Session Length: 50 minute__ 75 minute__ 100 minute__

Met with: Kid ___ Parent___ Other___ by Face to face______ Phone ____ Videochat_____

Discussion:

Plan: __Will meet in ___ wks __Will consider case closed

__Will monitor _________________________________________

__Will consult with/__Will refer to ______________________________________

__Kid will _______________________________________________

Signature: _____________________________________________________________________________

Meeting Date: __________ Session Length: 50 minute__ 75 minute__ 100 minute__

Met with: Kid ___ Parent___ Other___ by Face to face______ Phone ____ Videochat_____

Discussion:

Plan: __Will meet in ___ wks __Will consider case closed

__Will monitor _________________________________________

__Will consult with/__Will refer to ______________________________________

__Kid will _______________________________________________

Signature: _____________________________________________________________________________

Meeting Date: __________ Session Length: 50 minute__ 75 minute__ 100 minute__

Met with: Kid ___ Parent___ Other___ by Face to face______ Phone ____ Videochat_____

Discussion:

Plan: __Will meet in ___ wks __Will consider case closed

__Will monitor _________________________________________

__Will consult with/__Will refer to ______________________________________

__Kid will _______________________________________________

Signature: _____________________________________________________________________________

Meeting Date: __________ Session Length: 50 minute__ 75 minute__ 100 minute__

Met with: Kid ___ Parent___ Other___ by Face to face______ Phone ____ Videochat_____

Discussion:

Plan: __Will meet in ___ wks __Will consider case closed

__Will monitor _________________________________________

__Will consult with/__Will refer to ______________________________________

__Kid will _______________________________________________

Signature: _____________________________________________________________________________

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The Bridge Mentoring Tips

Safety:

Meet in public or with another, never alone in your or your Kid’s home.

Be careful about confidentiality.

Only touch your Kid if they seek the touch first and only in culturally appropriate ways. Here on the island it is customary to say hello or good-bye with a hand shake, a kiss on the cheek for women, perhaps a hug…and of course, never in any way that might suggest sexual interest.

Be careful about becoming over- or under-involved with your Ki and/or his or her family. We expect a MINIMUM of one face to face meeting a month—in person or via video chat—for at least an hour. We have found that you must not leave the initiative with your Kid!

Consult with your peer lead, a fellow mentor, and/or with Susan Davis, Ph.D., ANY time you have questions or concerns about your student or your relationship with them.

Relationship Building:

Be reliable and consistent in follow-through with commitments you make. In other words, try hard to prioritize times you set with your Kid or their family member(s)—try not to change the times, be late, or leave early. (AND have time set at least once a month! Did I already say that?!)

Seek to attend or participate in events in your student’s life: performances, sporting events, family celebrations. Suggest and invite your student to share in activities or opportunities that might help him or her learn or succeed in school and in areas of their interest. Each Kid and family’s needs will be a little different. You will learn these needs (eventually!) by hanging out with your Kid and learning about their everyday activities, friendships, interests and goals--basically whatever they want to talk about. They will soon (or late) trust you and begin to bring questions and concerns to you.

Research on psychotherapy, of whatever theoretical persuasion, has found three qualities in the therapist that correlate with successful outcome: genuineness, empathy, and unconditional positive regard. Seek to bring these qualities to your relationship with your student.

Seek to be sensitive to cultural and family or personal value differences, to learn from as well as teach your student, and to be patient in the growth of trust in your relationships with your Kid and his or her family.

Resources:

Our website: kauaitocollege.org

Susan Davis, Ph.D., The Bridge President and an experienced clinical psychologist.

Mentor meetings, peer leads, and our fellow mentors.

The Bridge Mentoring Strategy

The Bridge Angel Funds Grant Guidelines

• Priority will be given for academic preparation and fees
  • SAT and ACT preparation
  • SAT and ACT fees
  • College application fees
• Volunteer and enrichment activities will also be considered
  • Materials and expenses
  • Internship costs
  • Travel and study opportunities
  • Community volunteer initiatives
• Grant awards will
  • be positively influenced by the funds provided by the applicant him or her self
  • not be generally fully funded
  • be seen as seed money and cost sharing
  • be affected by the number of applicants and the available funds
• Mentors will be expected to provide a sense of a family’s financial circumstances with the initial grant application
  • This is not intended to be a rigorous or detailed analysis
• Grant recipients will be expected to provide a ‘Grant Tracking Form” after the purpose of the grant has been achieved
  • Mentors will be expected to hold recipients accountable for turning in their tracking form
  • In general, a new grant will not be given to a participant until a tracking form has been received for any prior grant
  • Grant tracking forms allow us to assess our effectiveness and provide a mechanism to promote our program with donors.

Spice Up Your Summer Blog Guidelines

Summer 2019

Please keep us posted through your photo and essay blogs—be creative and have fun!! Due 9/1/2019.

Postings to your Blogs:

When? At least one entry: the week before you depart, the week after your return, and each week you are away

Where? Note when and where you are writing or taking photos  You can take phots anywhere! (I once saw a slideshow at church entitled: Toilets of the World!)

What? What you see, hear, smell, taste, and touch...Feelings you have…Thoughts you have…Things you find interesting, curious, silly, discouraging, encouraging, funny…Recipes, poems, jokes…  And of course, people you meet

What is an entry? Text of 2-3 paragraphs with 1-10 photos each