Santa Fe Catholic High School's Mentorship Program Provides More Than Just Mentorship

Santa Fe Catholic High School implemented a mentorship program beginning this year. The program has a multifaceted approach to education, teaching students about hunger and poverty, community, human rights, and the environment through actions rather than exams. Working with a mentor, the Lakeland Catholic school students at Santa Fe thought up projects that positively affected the community, and with planning and prayers, brought those plans to fruition.In the Mentor Program, students from the same class and grade are matched with a teacher who acts as their mentor throughout the school year. The teacher may or may not be familiar with his or her group of students, but the camaraderie that develops through the students’ interactions with each other and their mentor gives the group a “family” feel.Meeting once a month, students focus on a specific service project. The projects have three sections: the singular group meets with their mentor monthly to plan and carry out the project; the group meets with the other school students for prayer service; and the group meets with the school for Mass. Each project follows this structure. While projects change monthly, the mentor and group members remain unchanged.The four basic initiatives students undertake are hunger and poverty, environment, human rights, and community. To give an example of the program’s end results, September’s mentoring groups worked on the following programs.

• Freshmen – Hunger and Poverty: The ninth-graders worked together in a food drive competition that was more than the typical “bring canned foods to school” concept. Their group educated others through a marketing and information campaign with a stimulating contest to see who could bring in the most food.
• Sophomores – Environment: The 10th graders saw a need for the senior citizens in their community to care for something living. They worked with Santa Fe alum, Nancy Moses, program director at VISTE, in assembling low maintenance houseplants in decorative planters and attached a personal message to each plant.
• Juniors – Human Rights: 11th graders bonded together in a national campaign against bullying, the Great American No Bull Challenge. This challenge presents a video format for students to post short films and public service announcements concerning bullying. Students vied to create the best campaign to be nominated and recognized by both the school and possibly the No Bull Challenge website.
• Seniors – Community: To reach out to elementary students, 12th graders created videos of their teammates reading children’s books aloud. With multiple videos, the students had the chance to reach out to several classes simultaneously rather than one classroom apiece.

The students involved in the mentorship program are learning a hands-on method of positively affecting the lives of community members. Lessons learned through this process impact more than the community, though. Each student learns compassion and how to interact with people of different ages. The Diocese of Orlando encourages all of its schools to participate in activities that positively impact the community. Santa Fe Catholic High School’s Mentor Program is a grand example of how Lakeland Catholic school students can change the lives of those in need. Contact the Diocese of Orlando today at 407-246-4800, and read the latest blogs on education and our Catholic schools.