Boyer Valley TeamMates Continues to Grow, Connecting More Students with Mentors
Jill Schaben, Dunlap Correspondent
The Boyer Valley TeamMates program continues to grow, with more local adults stepping up to make a difference in the lives of area students.
The program currently has 46 student-mentor matches, supported by 43 active mentors. A few volunteers mentor more than one student.
That represents significant growth for the local program. Over the past five years, Boyer Valley TeamMates has grown from 16 matches to 46 — nearly tripling the number of mentoring relationships within the district.
And interest from students continues.
Since the beginning of the current school year, another two to three students have nominated themselves for the program and asked to be matched with a mentor.
“We are always looking for more mentors because we always have kids interested in the program,” said Megan Mahoney, Boyer Valley TeamMates Mentoring Coordinator. “This summer, we recruited and matched eight new mentors.”
One of the biggest challenges in recruiting new mentors, Mahoney said, is helping people understand that the time commitment may be much more manageable than they initially think.
“It’s only 16 hours of the entire school year,” Mahoney said. “That’s not even a full 24-hour day! And it makes SUCH a difference!”
Becoming a TeamMates mentor begins with an application, background and reference checks and a short training. Mentors are then matched with students based in part on common interests.
Currently, Boyer Valley students in third through 12th grade are looking for caring adults interested in building a positive, trusting relationship with them.
Once matched, mentors typically meet with their mentee at school each week for 30 minutes to an hour. What happens during that time can be as simple as talking, playing a board game, reading a book, building Legos, working on a craft or taking a walk.
While recruiting someone for that first meeting can take a little encouragement, Mahoney said the experience itself often creates some of the program’s best advocates. “I’m pretty convincing initially, but once the mentors meet their mentee and start to spend time with them, they are the ones convincing others to join!”
The growth of Boyer Valley’s program has also gained attention beyond the local school district. At regional TeamMates meetings, representatives from other programs frequently ask how Boyer Valley has been able to recruit so many community mentors. For Mahoney, the answer is simple.
“I’m proud of our community and how they show up for our students,” she said. “It’s truly remarkable — and every time Steph [Lantz] and I go to a regional meeting, everyone always bombards us with questions about how we are able to recruit so many mentors!”
Her response is always the same.
“We just have a great community.”
With 46 matches already established and additional students hoping to participate, Boyer Valley TeamMates continues to seek adults willing to give a small amount of their time to build a meaningful relationship with a local student.
Those interested in learning more about becoming a mentor or beginning the application process can visit TeamMates.org.
