Youth Leadership in Middlesex

The Galvin Middle School in Wakefield, MA has instituted a student-to-student academic mentoring program. Through the program, eighth and seventh grade students are paired up with sixth and fifth grade students, respectively. The mentors meet with their mentees on Tuesday and Thursday afternoons from 2:30 to 3:30 under the supervision of the guidance counselor. The mentors help the mentees get organized, assist with homework, and simply listen when the mentee has had a bad day. The mentors are nominated by seventh and eighth grade teachers-they are typically good students, but not necessarily straight "A" students. Most importantly, they are caring students who are willing to give up two afternoons a week to help others. As with the mentors, the fifth and sixth grade teachers recommend the mentees. They are students who are struggling academically and who are seen as benefiting from some "one on one" attention. Although the program is aimed at helping the younger kids, there is little doubt that the older kids benefit as well. Both mentor and mentee self-esteem seems to have improved as a result of the program, and a few students have said that they would like to be teachers as a result of the program. In addition to self-esteem, the immediate observed benefit of this program has been an improvement in grades. Other longer term goals for the program include continued increases in achievement and improved attendance. For more information, please contact Principal Paula M. Mullen at the Galvin Middle School at (781) 246-6466.