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The Canadien Champion, Tuesday, JuIy 31, 2001-9 Photo by BARRIE ERSKINE Carole Shepherd, Oakville Big Sisters co-ordinator of The Club; Le. Shepherd, caseworker for Big Brothers of Halton; Don Lawson, marketing director for Big Brothers oaf Burlingtan Hamilton-Wentworth; Gary Sadier, superintendent of education with the Haton District School Board; Larry Stevens, principal of King's Road School in Burllngton; Evelyn Rea, executive director of Big Brothers of Halton; Demetra Saldaris, principal of Oakwood School in Oakville and John Suai, principal of St James School In Oakville, are looking for if-school mentors for local children. Mentoring program to be launched in fal By WILMA BLOKHUIS Special ta The Champion Wanted: Fifty volunteer school mentors. Big Brothers of Halton is Ieading the way to Iaunch a new pilot project in the region and in Ontario- In-School Mentoring. The programn will lie ofTered at tive Halton ele- mentary schools - including Milton's Holy Rosary Scbool - starting in September. The goal is to, match 50 chlîdren with the men- tors, 10 at each school, who will spend one hour logether each week until the cnd of'June. Big Brothers is working in partnership with the Oakville Big Sister Association, hence it will bc open to boys and girls, and both men and wornen can volutiteer as mentors. Big Brothers of' Burlington and Hamilton-Wcntworth, and Halton's two school boards, are the other part- ners. The volunteer mentors will lie matched one-to- one with a child aged 6 to 12 years who han been identiîied by teachers as needing encouragement to learn and to build self-estcem. explains Evelyn Rea, executive director of Big Brothers ol Halton. Students and professionals aged 18 years and Up who can spare one hour per weck, and would be interested in mentoring a chiîd, arc invited to volunteer. Friends, flot tutors TIhe volunteers will act as friends, not tutors. Activities - everything mnust he donc at school -can range [rom arts and craî ts to reading. playing board gamnes, cooking, sports, comput- crs, to building projects to checking homework. The program was developed by Big Brothers and Sisters of Canada after exploring in-sehool mentoring programs in the United States, says Don Lawson, marketing director for the Big Brothers uf Burîington and Hamilton- Wentworth. Big Brothers and Sisters of America han offered the program for the past decade. "More agencies are adopting the in-school menîoring program and have found it to be a great success," says Mr. Lawson. If's the lastest growing mentoring program across Canada. The Big Brothers and Sisters of Canada have otfered the program across the country for the past ftve ycars. but if's not yet available in Ontario. This mentoring program won't be tutor based, but a friendshtp and rla- tionship-based program." Children accepted into the program will bc idcntîficd and referrcd by their scbools. The chil- dren and volunteers ssiI> bctnatchcd according to sharcd interests. "The children (in the program) will not neces- sartly come trom single-parent homes," says Mr. Lawson. "Aîthough Big Brothers and Big Sisters organ- izations are idenîitied as working with single- parent homes, the ebildren aeeepted int the In- Sehool Mentoring Program wiII lie those select- ed by their teachers as being to benefit [rom the friendship of an adult, to boost the chiîd's self- esteem. Teachers have long been advocates otf a chi ld's self-estcem, says Gaty Sadîer, a superintendent with the Halton District School Board. -It's important that kids have signiftcant sup- portive adults in their life." A similar program which oftered in scbools, called Friends, was discontinued two years ago, adds Mr. Sadler. The In-School Mcntoring Program wil libe par- tially funded by the United Way otf Oakville and the Halton Healthy Community Fund. For information, c;aîl Big Brothers of Haîton at (905) 339-2355. 001%ÉOM"*,"%G E tllltn% 'COGECO 14 Programming Schedule - JuIy 3lst- Aug. 6th, 2001. a S Buo 9m 1km4 lianNm ae~d lie u' yWSok 9aes, lOi,, lais, NasaPCMedIn!'Early Week Edentiam s, tOus, Ilas% Nom. Pugd ln! Euly Week Etian Smoe Dy.- No Proar.o SM m p & 7:30PMn PIua In! - la*p Wk 5:30p. c ayIyt efy&0 i u a www.cogeco.ca 634mI C* n h CI 1 NORTH4 HALTON STUDIO 21 Main Street North, Acton, ON L7J 1V9 (519) 853-4700 Feature This Week: North Haton Niews and Informatiîon - Evey Dayy at 5pm, 6pm & 7:3Opm IL ý bN FLOWER 11SHOP