Toombs County Implements New Mentorship Program

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Toombs County Family Connection and Toombs County Schools have partnered to implement a new pilot program to help improve the community.

MENTOR Toombs County will go along with the Get TOOMBS Reading initiative that volunteers within the area have been working towards for several years. Last month, Toombs County Family Connection Director Paige Williamson and Toombs County Schools Family Engagement Coordinator met with MENTOR Georgia Representative Leslie Hale to learn more about the program.

MENTOR Georgia is focused on strengthening the quality and increasing the quantity of mentoring relationships for Georgia’s young people and closing the mentoring gap. These mentors collaborate with partners around Georgia to ensure that every young person has the supportive relationships they need to grow and develop into thriving, productive, and engaged adults.

Currently, MENTOR Toombs is focused on literacy and is specific to Lyons Primary School 1st grade students. As the program continues to grow, this mentorship is expected to expand to other schools and grades.

On February 18, eleven volunteers from the community met for the first official MENTOR Toombs training. During that time, participants practiced leading activities, learned why a program like this is important now, and took turns reading to one another to listen for sight words and better understand the mentor role.

The program is still in beginning stages and is looking for community members to volunteer in this effort. Those wanting to mentor should complete an application and background check, and will be required to commit to a 4-hour training and 1-2 hours of mentoring per week.

If you or someone you know would be interested in joining this program for the next school year, please contact Paige Williamson at familyconnection9@gmail. com or Rhonda Benton, rhonda. benton@ toombs. k12.ga.us.