Our Priorities

Most after school programs in the Raleigh area, and in the nation, are great for kids, but do not get at the real “roots” of learning difficulties for each individual child. Most after school settings are centered around homework help with an average ratio of 6-8 students per every 1 adult. Below are a few striking differences of the Community HOPE Mentoring Programs:

• Individualized – This program was created to serve each child according to their needs and learning styles. Each child undergoes a diagnostic assessment (both oral and written) which determines their individual reading level as well as specific literacy skills the child needs to improve upon.
  
• Academically Structured – Each child has an individualized folder when they come to their one-hour mentoring session twice a week. Each folder has a specific lesson plan that directs the mentor through certain activities for that day. (Most homework tutorials are simply about the child completing their homework which in and of itself is a worthy accomplishment. However, most homework tutorials do not solve or work on the issues of students who are below their reading level or skill level for their age and grade. Thus, a student can get help with their homework and still never understand or master the concepts with which they are struggling.)
  
• Based on Relationships – Each child is paired with 2 mentors for an entire year. The student meets with these same mentors each week. Having 2 caring adults deeply involved in each of these kids’ lives brings about tremendous results that are not just academic in nature, but social, mental, emotional and spiritual. The majority of our mentors also spend a significant amount of time with their student outside of the actual mentoring hour each week.
  
• Measurable in Progress – National results show that after one year in the program, 90% of the students gain one grade level in their reading skills. The end-of-the-year test for each child is an excellent indicator of the progress that has been achieved. (See “Our Progress” for yearly testing results.)
  
• Trained mentors and volunteers – All of our mentors and regular subs must undergo training from the Community HOPE staff.  Each mentor attends a 2 hour training workshop in which they are acquainted with the program and then thoroughly trained to work through the folder with their student. We also offer on-going trainings and enrichment nights for our mentors throughout the year.
  
• Relationship and Connection to Local Schools – Over the past 5 years, our staff has been working to build and maintain good, working relationships with the principals of the local schools our students attend, as well as their individual teachers. We are kept abreast of their school performance, including copies of their report cards at each grading period. Our staff also attends teacher/parent conferences and speaks at faculty meetings per the request of the school administrators. We understand the vital connection between our mentoring program and the events of the school day.
  
• Mentor Retention – One of the greatest strengths of our mentoring program is the ability to retain excellent, dedicated mentors from year to year. We currently have a significant number of mentors who are in their fourth and fifth years of mentoring.
  
• Parent Involvement and Training Workshops – Because Community HOPE is based on relationships, the staff has a strong connection with each student’s parents. Our staff makes regular visits to each child’s home to update parents on coming events, student progress, and any other information of concern. We also have many activities and events throughout the year that our parents regularly attend. We have also developed a Parent Contact Team on which several student’s parents serve to provide creative insight, leadership, and initiatives for our program.
  
• Making a Difference - Research shows that through one-on-one mentoring students become more self-reliant, attend school more regularly, and have fewer discipline problems. It has been joy to watch our students grow over the past 5 years in all of these areas.
  
• Mentor Friendly - All lesson plans and folders are put together by our trained staff. Our mentors arrive and know exactly what to do each day for their mentoring hour. Many after school programs are not as mentor friendly. They lack structure and often leave volunteers feeling unprepared for helping students or overwhelmed with the number of students that actually need assistance. Our program provides a safe and structured environment for mentors to engage students academically and relationally.
  
• Church and Community Involvement - Our Community HOPE programs are also strengthened by our strong connections to local community churches and other business organizations here in the city of Raleigh. We strive to have partnering churches of different denominations, races, and backgrounds that are willing to be an available and committed resource for our sites. These churches provide strong mentor bases, facility use, snacks and school supplies for our students, as well as various other things needed for the daily operations of the program. Local businesses also partner to provide services, food donations, and various other things needed for program operations.