By SHANE WRIGHT
After 10 years a BYU faculty member's dream of a preventative mentoring program for young teenage girls is now a reality.
The one with the dream, Women's Services and Resources Coordinator Jean Taylor Scott said,'I've been concerned with our adolescent girls because of the struggles they seem to be having and some of the choices that they were making. I wanted to help with a preventative program.
'So about a year ago, I asked a student to help me to research the previous findings. We found that mentoring programs had the best resiliency,' Scott said.
The mentoring program is focused around adolescent girls.
'We feel we can help young girls be more secure in who she is and start that identifying self. We want to help her find what her strengths are and being comfortable with her weaknesses. If we can do this, it would be a very positive start,' Scott said.
Mentors go into middle schools once a week for about an hour. Once a month they have a group activity.
The program has six areas of focus: personal goals, personal values, decision making, family relationships and roles, physical health and body image and career opportunities.
One of the BYU students serving as a volunteer mentor, Amy Soh said,'After being home from my mission for a month or two, my life wasn't going where I wanted it to, so helping people through the mentoring program was a good option for me.'
The bond between the mentors and the students can build quite quickly.
'After meeting only three or four times, we've bonded. We're friends and I feel we've been rather successful,' Soh said.
According to one of the teen girls participating in the program, 'I like it (the mentoring program) because you can talk about stuff that you can't usually talk to your parents about.'
The program is here to help the girls learn what's out there for them.
'We want them to know that there are many opportunities and choices out there for them and have fun while they're doing it,' Scott said.
The program started in the spring with seven six grade students and mentors in the Joaquin Elementary school.
This semester, the program has grown to 29 mentors and 29 students in both Joaquin Elementary school and Farrer middle school.
To inquire into the mentoring program, contact the Women's Services and Resources at 378-4877.