Tag Archive: National Mentoring Summit


Some Thoughts on Mentoring

Filed Under: National Office by Briana Kerensky — Leave a comment
January 27, 2012

Today’s blog post is from Danya Perry, director of program and youth development at Communities In Schools of North Carolina.

Danya PerryBecause of the influential men who shaped my life, namely my father and uncle, I am passionate about mentoring. I was so excited to be in Washington, D.C. with some of my Communities In Schools family and to learn about innovative strategies at the 2012 National Mentoring Summit. I’m not going to lie…I was a little hesitant to travel because I heard it was going to snow and the flu bug was going around. I resolved to stay in my hotel room and only come out for the summit sessions and Pop-Tarts. But as soon as we hit the floor of the hotel, we met a group of individuals from Wilmington, N.C. and bonded instantaneously. We didn’t just share our organizations’ work on autopilot – rather, we talked about the change in youth and power of mentoring. What a way to set the stage for a great event. Like Bill Milliken says – “It’s relationships, not programs, that change children.” I felt that this was a good sign of what was to come. I wasn’t wrong… View full article »

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Time Well Spent

Filed Under: National Office by Briana Kerensky — Leave a comment
January 26, 2012

Today’s blog post is from Marketing and Public Relations Manager Cindy Nixon.

Former Communities In Schools intern Ariel Johnson spoke at the National Mentoring Summit.

For the last two days, it was an honor to share ideas with some of the leaders in mentoring from across the country. Since mentoring is one of the key things we do at Communities In Schools, I was thrilled to have the opportunity to join minds with other innovators at the second annual National Mentoring Summit. This year’s theme was Invest in the Future: Mentor a Child.

It was so refreshing to hear about some of the programs dedicated to creating a brighter future for our youth, from one centered solely on mentoring the children of military families to another focused on students who are the first in their families to attend college. Over the course of the two-day summit, I spoke with people from all walks of life — from a Brooklyn “hipster” to a young woman from North Dakota. As diverse as the crowd was, they were all united by one cause – mentoring our nation’s youth in hopes of giving young men and women the chance for a brighter future. View full article »

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The Vital Importance of Mentors

Filed Under: National Office, Volunteers by Briana Kerensky — Leave a comment
January 24, 2012

national mentoring summit logoCommunities In Schools works around the clock to make sure students’ physical needs are met. If a student’s family is unable to afford groceries, we connect them with food assistance programs. If they find themselves without a home, we harness community resources to provide them with shelter. Communities In Schools makes sure that the physical barriers that can prevent students from learning in school are eliminated.

But we also work to mitigate the social barriers as well. Across the country, our volunteer mentors act as role models and provide students with tutoring, a listening ear and most importantly, a friend. Having adequate food and clothing is extremely important to a student’s success; having a positive adult influence – a person who believes in a student’s dreams and pushes him or her to achieve, is equally vital. View full article »

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Back with a Bang

Filed Under: National Office by Briana Kerensky — Leave a comment
January 10, 2012

January is usually a very cold, quiet month in the Washington, D.C, area, (I say “usually,” because lately we’ve had some crazy spring-like temperatures). But despite the quiet, January is the beginning of a new year, and in 2012 Beyond the Classroom is working hard to top the amazing posts we featured last year.

national mentoring summit logoThis month is going to be jam-packed. We recently re-launched our Site Coordinator Snapshot series, and can’t wait to share even more inspiring stories of the work Communities In Schools site coordinators are doing across the country to help kids succeed. We are also going to be live blogging from the National Mentoring Summit in Washington, D.C., posting photos from local Martin Luther King Day community service events with Communities In Schools students and alumni, and celebrating National Thank Your Mentor Day™.

In addition, keep an eye on the Communities In Schools national website. In the next few weeks we will be launching an innovative, interactive version of our model, which helps explain how we work in schools to meet each student’s individual needs.

Beyond the Classroom is really starting 2012 with a bang. We hope you share in the adventure with us!

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