Mentor Application

Community Connections Mentoring makes a difference. Be someone who matters – to someone who matters!

Thank you for your willingness to be a mentor. This can be a very rewarding experience for you, and an opportunity to make a substantial difference in the life of a child.

Brief Description
Community Connections mentoring matches children in kindergarten through seventh grade with adult mentors (18 or older) with similar interests. A mentor is a role model, and someone to listen to, and encourage the child.

You will spend one-on-one time with your mentee doing activities you both enjoy. Our program offers monthly group activities and community service projects to give you options for time spent together. Past activities have included art classes, game nights, playing disc golf, touring KNOP TV, horseback riding, as well as baking cookies for others, planting flowers at the Senior Center, and raking leaves for elderly. Additionally, we provide a monthly social emotional learning program called Impact to bring mentors and mentees together to foster self-esteem, growth mindset, appreciation for diversity, critical thinking, and communication skills for youth.

As a mentoring pair, you will receive free admission to the North Platte Recreation Center. Bi-monthly, we provide a newsletter of activities and other information.

FAQs about mentoring:

Do you pick the youth for me? How are we matched?

You are an essential part of the matching process. You will have an opportunity to learn about a potential mentee, before we match you with someone. We want our matches to be successful.

If I have children can I include them in our time together?

Yes, as long as you also have an opportunity to meet one-on-one with your mentee.

Where will I meet with my mentee?

Our mentoring program is community-based, with the flexibility of meeting at any of your favorite locations in Lincoln County. There are many public locations, such as parks, museums, etc.. that provide the opportunity to spend time with your mentee. You are also welcome to meet with your mentee during his or her school lunch period. You can meet with your mentee any time that works for you and the child.

I am worried that I won’t have enough time to spend with my mentee.

Mentees do not expect you to always make special plans for them. They just enjoy the fact that you think they are special enough to be with them. Letting them go with you during your normal routine is an easy way to get to know them, and teach them a lot of life lessons, even including them when you run errands, can be a great way to develop a relationship.

Minimum Mentor Requirements

Be at least 18 years old, and have a desire to make a positive difference in the life of a child.
Be a good role model for youth, free of illicit drugs. Not have mental or physical problems that interfere with your ability to be a good mentor.
Be able and willing to make a one year commitment to the program, and spend 4 to 8 hours per month with the child, which may include the monthly group activities.
Be willing to maintain regular contact with Community Connections staff, report mentoring hours and let staff know of address and other changes.
Be willing to participate in mentor trainings and complete yearly surveys about the mentoring program.
Be able to provide your own transportation (valid driver’s license and liability insurance).
Pass a criminal background check and Health & Human Services registry check.
Be able to provide references as evidence of your character and ability to be a good mentor.
Be willing to follow the confidentially, ethics and other guidelines of the program.

Steps to Becoming a Community Connections Mentor

Complete the application
We will contact you for an interview/orientation meeting, in which we will: learn more about your interests and personality to help us match you with a child, answer your questions and any concerns you have, and give you additional information to get started.
We will check your references and ensure that background checks are completed. We reserve the right to verify the information in your application. Application material is confidential and becomes the property of the agency. We will provide a mentor training manual and review the contents in a training session individually or as a group.
We will select a child as a potential match with you. We will tell you about the child (age, interests, personality) and get your approval for a match. We will share similar information about you, with the child’s parents. If it seems right to everyone, we will continue. If not, we will talk with you about a different child.
You will meet with the child, the child’s parent(s) and Community Connections Mentoring staff for a get-acquainted session and final agreement for a match.
You will embark on what we hope will be a positive, life-enriching experience for you and your mentee.

Continuing on, as a mentor:
We will be available to address any concerns you have. We will send you regular newsletters about group activities, etc. We have one or two group activities each month. Periodically, we will have informal training sessions for you and other mentors. Each month you will report your hours. You will keep us informed of any concerns, address changes, etc.