News Stories

 

Project Arrive has Arrived!

We are thrilled to report a successful launch of Project Arrive, our new group mentoring program for 9th graders who have a history of attendance and academic challenges.  Since last Spring, we’ve been working hard to cement strong partnerships with three SFUSD high schools: John O’Connell, Thurgood Marshall and Mission High.  Kudos to our dedicated site leaders  (Vanessa Marrero, Community School Coordinator at O’Connell; Wendy Snider, Wellness Coordinator at Thurgood Marshall; and Laura Parker, Assistant Principal at Mission). They have done a remarkable job of recruiting talented and diverse staff to become group mentors. In all, we have 20 group mentors on board with us!  

During the month of September, site teams conducted individual outreach to eligible 9th grade students,  and successfully enrolled about 70 mentees into Project Arrive.  Project Arrive group mentors have already started working together in pairs to mentor a small group of about 6-8 mentees per group.   While each group is encouraged to create its own special “flavor”, the common focus across groups is on helping mentees make a successful transition into high school, and connecting them with the resources they need to stay on track toward graduation. 

On September 21st, our first “Boot Camp for Group Mentors” focused on giving group mentors an opportunity to practice core skills to build a successful mentoring group. Many thanks to our colleagues Ben Kauffman, SFUSD’s Restorative Justice Trainer; Elizabeth Hubbard, Peer Resources Director; and Wendy Snider, Wellness Coordinator for stepping in as our training team for the day. We had an excellent turnout, and a lot of fun! We were all so impressed with the level of enthusiasm, experience and creativity that our group mentors bring to this effort. They are truly amazing people, and we are honored to be able to support them in this bold venture this year. For more information  contact Vida Sanford, SanfordV@sfusd.edu, 415-242-2615 .