Fayette County schools seek mentors

Mentors will be paired with eighth-graders to help them succeed through high school. Courtesy FCBOE

Mentors will be paired with eighth-graders to help them succeed through high school. Courtesy FCBOE

Volunteer mentors are being sought for Fayette County students who need a little extra academic and emotional support.

The school system’s Friends Mentoring program, established in 1992, is now a part of REACH Georgia, which began in 2012 as a needs-based mentorship and college scholarship program. It pairs mentors with students in eighth grade to provide ongoing support through high school graduation, through weekly meetings to discover skills, interests and possible career paths. The students must have grades of C or higher in core subjects and have good attendance and behavior records. Mentors should have a four-year degree or higher and honor the required time commitment. The school system says mentoring “is a proven strategy for helping at-risk students who often believe that no one cares whether they stay in school or not.”

Those interested in the program should contact program manager Jane Gough at 770-460-3535, ext. 1044, or gough.jane@mail.fcboe.org.