Special Project
Developing a Mentorship Program
at Gordon Lee High School
Introduction:
For the special project, I have created a framework and initiated the implementation of a mentorship program at Gordon Lee High School. This mentorship program includes a process where volunteer high school seniors go through a specific training where they learn to provide an effective mentorship to incoming freshmen at Gordon Lee High School. The major goal of this program is to to increase school connectedness and to provide short and long-term support to students in their emotional, social, and academic endeavors. The plan is for this mentorship to be administered and carried out on a yearly basis. Throughout the Spring 2020 semester at GLHS, I have interviewed and discussed the topic with students, teachers, and school staff as a major aspect of configuring this framework. I have administered surveys to junior and senior students to hear their perspective about their freshman year experience along with their insight into a potential peer mentorship program. I have analyzed and summarized the findings from those surveys in a Word document (Mentorship Feedback) which I have shared with school staff. I have formed a Powerpoint presentation (GLHS Peer Mentorship Program) to present to all GLHS teachers and administrators in order to explain the importance of starting up a peer mentorship program, along with background information about supporting research and existing programs (Annotated Bibliography and Research Notes on Peer Mentorship) which are helpful and effective in other school systems. Furthermore, I have organized a broad framework (Peer Mentorship Framework) which will be utilized in order to plan for and execute an organized peer mentorship program at Gordon Lee High School. Finally, I have formed post-program surveys (Post-Program Survey for Peer Mentorship) to be administered to school employees, senior mentors, and freshmen mentees in order to receive feedback to critically evaluate the effectiveness of the program following the first year of implementation.
What social issue has been addressed and why?
This project aims to address the social issue of negative aspects present in transitional seasons for middle school-aged students who begin their high school years. Research reveals that students face particularly-challenging circumstances as they approach the next academic atmosphere. The negative issues associated with this transitional time–including depression, anxiety, stress, feelings of being alone or inadequate–are prevalent in many educational institutions, and can have an impact on students throughout all of their secondary educational years. Freshman year specifically is a defining time for teenagers because they are drastically developing the academic, mental, and social-emotional aspects of their lives. According to Erik Erikson’s Stages of Development, students are undergoing the phase of Identity versus Role Confusion. In these times, individuals are trying to gain a sense of independence as they search for who they are and what their long-term purposes may be. The attitudes and ideas which students shape early on will continue to influence their futures as they aim to complete their educational goals. This project was initiated by the high school counselor at GLHS, and I have teamed with her to gain support from other school faculty in this process. This document includes research evidence of the various circumstances students are going through as they transition into high school: Annotated Bibliography and Research Notes on Peer Mentorship.
What interventions have been designed?
In forming the framework for this mentorship program, I have sought information from research articles as well as educational systems with existing mentorship programs in order to understand what interventions are most effective in this process. The goal of these interventions align with the overall perceived benefits of the mentorship program: to increase school connectedness and to provide short and long-term support to students in their emotional, social, and academic endeavors. By incorporating the theoretical framework of social learning theory along with psychosocial development theory, this mentorship program will include a variety of effective activities including one-on-one and small group meetings where the evidence-based practices of modeling and educational or focus groups will be integrated by the trained senior students. Social learning theory explains how the process of modeling behaviors can effectively allow for observers to learn through watching and later imitating. This intervention will be useful as senior mentors model various behaviors to freshmen mentees. The psychosocial development theory explains that those entering high school are in the Identity versus Role Confusion stage where they deal with the crisis of forming an identity. The one-on-one and group meetings will center on helping support freshmen students as they aim to understand their role and grow in their own identities. Examples for successful peer mentorship programs can be found on Slides 5-6 of this presentation: GLHS Peer Mentorship Program.
What were some of the results achieved?
Since this project primarily aimed to create a framework for the program, there are no existing results on the implementation of the mentorship. However, during this project I was able to receive feedback from students on the idea of including a mentorship program into their academic experience. I have qualitative data from these high school seniors and juniors including information about what things these students wish they knew when they were starting out high school as well as the support they wish they had (Mentorship Feedback). I have made post-program surveys to be sent out to all senior and freshman participants following the first year of the program in order to receive their reflections and input about its effectiveness (Post-Program Survey for Peer Mentorship).
Conclusions:
In these beginning stages, I have faced limitations as I have strived to gain support for the program. At Gordon Lee High School, higher administrators are the ultimate decision-makers for programs such as this one. While many of the school staff would be supportive and excited to implement a program like this, there are some school employees who would be skeptical or worried about the results of a mentorship program. The greatest limitations for this project are finding a way to adjust the school schedule in a way that incorporates this program. These changes to the school day would not be drastic, but there would be some days where seniors and freshmen might need an hour out of their schedules in order to meet with each other. Furthermore, I might face a limitation in gaining motivation and excitement from those students who the program depends on: the senior class at GLHS. In regard to what could be done better or what unexpected outcomes exist, this is yet to be observed after the first year which this project is put in place.
Nine Competencies Utilized:
Competency One: Demonstrate ethical and professional behavior
Throughout this process, I was sure to utilize my skills of integrating ethics and professionalism in my speech, appearance, and actions. In several instances, I sought out professional guidance and supervision as I worked through the tasks which this project encompassed. I reflected on my own biases as I began the work, and I continuously used self-regulation in order to ensure my tasks were appropriate. In seeking inter-professional communication, I was professional as I used both in-person and electronic means of talking to school staff.
Competency Two: Engage diversity and difference in practice
The major mission of this project is to provide equitable opportunities and expand on educational experiences across all students. This project emphasizes the importance that each member of the incoming freshman class is given the same services which will expand upon their existing knowledge about high school. As I aimed to understand what aspects of a program would be most effective, I presented myself as a learner as I received feedback from students about their thoughts on the program. I made it my goal to communicate the importance of this mentorship’s desired outcomes to individuals at all levels of power. I emphasized the need to address the diversity amongst students within in this mentorship program.
Competency Three: Advance human rights and social, economic, and environmental justice
Throughout my social work courses, it has become clear that there is a vast amount of differentiation amongst individuals in regard to their social, economic, and environmental standings. When it comes to receiving an education through a public-school system, it is necessary that the system in discussion strives to protect and advance the rights of the students in each of these categories. This mentorship program is designed to reach all students, regardless of their current social, economic, or environmental situations. This program aims to expand upon the rights of students so that they can have more opportunities to influence their futures in a positive way through their time spent within the school system.
Competency Four: Engage in practice-informed research and research-informed practice
As I began brainstorming ways to incorporate this mentorship program at the high school, I made it a point to carry out research on the existing evidence-based practices and programs which directly relate to the mentorship program I hope to start. I also researched background evidence about the struggles which students face as they start high school, along with ways that these struggles might be connected to factors such as academic performance (Annotated Bibliography and Research Notes on Peer Mentorship). Also, I decided to incorporate my own surveys of students in order to gain an understanding of what a program should include. I applied critical thinking across all of these endeavors as I read through and analyzed peer-reviewed articles as well as descriptions of effective programs which are currently used in schools. I utilized my skills of analysis in order to translate the information gaining in this research into an implementation in the program which I worked on. I have compiled the information gained throughout this process in a Powerpoint presentation to explain to administrators the major points of this project (GLHS Peer Mentorship Program).
Competency Five: Engage in policy practice
Gordon Lee High School aims to follow those policies which dictate how public education systems in Georgia should operate. In planning this project, it became evident that I must do work which follows the rules and practices which exist already. The school counselor and I discussed what aspects of a program might be allowed and would support rather than contradict the existing policies which GLHS has in place. As I continue to gain support for this program, it is important that I ensure all who I speak to about this are aware of what it entails and understand that the program itself does not breach any existing policies.
Competency Six: Engage with individuals, families, groups, organizations, and communities
Throughout this project, I engaged with a variety of people and groups within the school system. I utilized my skills of empathy and interpersonal communication as I met with the school counselor and school social work to extensively talk about the forming of a mentorship program. As I aimed to understand how the beginning stages of this program could work out, I was sure to thoroughly and respectfully discuss the topic with different school staff members. In brainstorming ideas for this program, I reflected on my knowledge about human behavior and the social environment as it relates to freshman and senior students. I analyzed my understand about systems theory and person-in-environment in order to incorporate necessary and useful aspects into the program which would effectively address student needs.
Competency Seven: Assess individuals, families, groups, organizations, and communities
I used both in-person interviews as well as surveys in order to assess the current situation of Gordon Lee High School Students. I collected and organized data from high school juniors and seniors who reflected on their freshman experiences and explained what things would be helpful in a mentorship program (Mentorship Feedback). Together with the high school counselor, I used critical thinking along with my understanding of person-in-environment to talk about how we might further design a program which directly responds to this assessment of students in a transitionary period. Furthermore, I read through several existing intervention strategies which other schools have implemented in order to form effective and helpful mentorship programs.
Competency Eight: Intervene with individuals, families, groups, organizations, and communities
As I formed the framework for a mentorship program, I wanted for school staff members to have an idea of the vast amount of intervention strategies which existing mentorship programs have incorporated. I critically analyzed those which I reviewed to present a small handful of intervention options which can be integrated into the program at GLHS. These examples can be viewed on slides 5-6 of: GLHS Peer Mentorship Program. Furthermore, I have made it a point to review and apply the theoretical frameworks of psychosocial development theory and social learning theory as I planned for intervention strategies in the form of modeling done by senior mentors along with educational and focus groups. Throughout this process, I have leaned on my abilities to use inter-professional collaboration in order to ensure that this program meets both its intended goals as well as the approval of school administrators. I have included in the framework a suggestion for how high school seniors might end the program and appropriately finish their mentorship relationships.
Competency Nine: Evaluate practice with individuals, families, groups, organizations, and communities
Because this mentorship program has not yet been implemented, it is crucial that thorough means of evaluation are made following the first year of using the program. I have incorporated into my framework a post-program survey (Post-Program Survey for Peer Mentorship) which allows for faculty and students—both freshmen and seniors—to respond, reflect, and give feedback about their experience in the program. In doing this, school staff will be able to critically analyze what aspects of the program are helpful versus what areas of growth might exist. In response to this evaluation, effective changes can be made at the micro, mezzo, and macro levels as they relate to those aspects of the program which exist at Gordon Lee High School.