Leesburg Elementary School, located at 2229 South St., is hosting a breakfast at 7 a.m. on Friday, Sept. 23, for individuals interested in participating in the Mentoring for Success Program.
The goal of the program, which was launched last year in Lake County Schools, is to have at least 20 mentors at each elementary, middle and high school. Each mentor is matched up with a student and will mentor him or her for a minimum of one hour per week during the school year.
“We thought this breakfast would be a good way to promote the program and we would invite the community to come in and learn about our school,” said Durenda McKinney, Principal of Leesburg Elementary.
McKinney said she hopes to share with those attending the breakfast examples of how mentors have worked with students and changed their lives.
“I want to show how much a mentor can change the life of a child and how making such a difference can be a blessing for the mentor as well,” she said.
According to officials at Lake County Schools, mentoring is recognized by the State Board of Education as a tool in helping to improve student academic achievement, social competence and personal development. While many schools in Lake County have had success with individual mentoring initiatives, the Mentoring for Success Program aims to incorporate all these initiatives under one umbrella to bring mentoring to as many students of Lake County Schools as possible.
