You guys, we are SO grateful and thankful for you all! Despite a pandemic and standing up for racial justice and politics and, well, life, you are still putting students first and leaning into your mentoring role in new ways. It may not seem like it to you, but that is honorable!

*Just a friendly reminder – please be mindful of Dane County’s new face mask order starting tomorrow. If you are spending time indoors with your mentee, be sure that you’re both wearing a mask (We have some if you or your mentee need one). If you’re outdoors, please remain cautious and smart about your interactions with each other.

Don’t forget to follow us and tag us on social media! Look for IntentionalMentoringMadison on FB, Instagram and Twitter!

Challenge for the week:

For July, the challenges will center around the theme of Independence. This week’s challenge is to teach your mentee a new life skill. Depending on your mentee’s age, situation and interests, there are many skills you could teach. For example, how to wash dishes, how to plan a birthday party, how to organize a closet, how to set a table, how to order at a counter, how to make a list and go to the grocery store, how to save money, how to read a map, how to give directions…so many options! As you teach the skill, remember that your mentee may not get it on the first try. Be sure to set aside time to give clear directions and allow them time to practice. Be patient and consistent and praise them for their efforts and successes!

BONUS CHALLENGE: July is Career Readiness Month so lets learn about how you can help your mentee start preparing now. Step 1: Find out what your mentee wants to be when they grow up. If they have several ideas, learn more about their specific interests in each. If they have one idea, find out what made them hone in on that one. If they don’t have any ideas, help them sort through their interests and then share some careers that match those interests. If you need help, have them fill out this interest survey.

TIP of the WEEK: “Having clear boundaries is essential to a healthy, balanced lifestyle. A boundary is a personal property line that marks those things for which we are responsible. In other words, boundaries define who we are and who we are not. Boundaries impact all areas of our lives: Physical boundaries help us determine who may touch us and under what circumstances — Mental boundaries give us the freedom to have our own thoughts and opinions — Emotional boundaries help us to deal with our own emotions and disengage from the harmful, manipulative emotions of others . . . ” From Boundaries by Dr. Henry Cloud and Dr. John Townsend

Boundaries are one of those tricky things we think we understand until we actually stop and think about it. Once we really learn their role in all areas of our lives, we discover the freedom and health they bring.

We love seeing photos of you and your mentee spending time together! Please share them with us via your coach or using the hashtag #intentionalmentoringmadison

Mentor Coaching Group Meeting Dates:

MARILYN: TBD  marilyn@intentionalmentoringmadison.org

VAL: Tuesday, July 14th 5:30-:30 p.m.  val@intentionalmentoringmadison.org

ASHLEY: Thursday, July 16th 7-8 a.m.  ashley@intentionalmentoringmadison.org

RYAN: Monday, July 6th 5:30 – 6:30 p.m.  Ryan@intentionalmentoringmadison.org

Upcoming Events to Note

• Annual Intentional Mentoring Cookout – postponed until the fall. We just didn’t see a way to do this in a way that was comfortable and safe for all. We’re really hoping to be able to get us all together for food and connection in the fall!
• Goodman Pool is opening in July AND they’re offering pool admission scholarships! Check it out here!
• If your mentee and/or their family are in need of any free meals during this uncertain time, please check out the YMCA’s post 7 Free Food Sites
• There are a lot of cool and FREE events at the Dream Bank on E. Washington St.. Check out the AmFam Dream Bank site for more info and to register. 
• For a listing of local events checkout www.MadisonWithKids.com
• Free Library Events/Activities: Fitchburg Events Calendar  Madison Events Calendar
• For Orchard Ridge events check Orchard Ridge Calendar
• For Toki events check Toki Calendar 
• For Sennett events check Sennett Calendar
• For Cherokee events check Cherokee Calendar
• For Blackhawk events check Blackhawk Calendar
• For JMM HS events check Memorial HS Calendar
• For West HS events checkWest HS Calendar
• For La Follette HS events check La Follette Calendar

If you have a change in personal information (phone/address/email) please respond to this email or notify your mentor coach ASAP. 

QUOTE of the WEEK

“Children must be taught how to think, not what to think.” ~ Margaret Mead

All the best,

Intentional Mentoring

Hi again 🙂 I’m not quite sure how it’s Sunday again and time for another weekly update, but here we are and here you go!

*Just a friendly reminder – please be mindful of Dane County’s new face mask order starting tomorrow. If you are spending time indoors with your mentee, be sure that you’re both wearing a mask (We have some if you or your mentee need one). If you’re outdoors, please remain cautious and smart about your interactions with each other.

Don’t forget to follow us and tag us on social media! Look for IntentionalMentoringMadison on FB, Instagram and Twitter!

Challenge for the week:

For July, the challenges will center around the theme of Independence. This week’s challenge is to work on teaching your mentee accountability. The big idea here is for your mentee to connect choice and consequence. This may be a good opportunity for you to share about a time when you made a negative choice that resulted in an unwanted consequence. Talk through what you learned by having to deal with that consequence. You can also share about a time when you made a positive choice that was followed by a desired consequence. This time you can talk through what behavior was reinforced in you as a result of making that choice. Make sure to follow up your examples with questions about times that your mentee has made choices resulting in either desired or undesirable consequences and what they learned from those choices.

BONUS CHALLENGE: July is Career Readiness Month so lets learn about how you can help your mentee start preparing now. Step 1: Find out what your mentee wants to be when they grow up. If they have several ideas, learn more about their specific interests in each. If they have one idea, find out what made them hone in on that one. If they don’t have any ideas, help them sort through their interests and then share some careers that match those interests. If you need help, have them fill out this interest survey.

TIP of the WEEK: Boundaries! Setting and maintaining boundaries is so important for a healthy mentoring relationship. One of the most important boundaries you can set with your mentee is your role. Remember, you are not their parent or their friend, you are their source of support and encouragement – an outside perspective and voice of reason. Maintaining this boundary will protect your mentee from becoming dependent on you and will increase their ability to depend on themselves. Making sure to stick to time commitments and communication schedules will also help maintain healthy boundaries. Protect yourself and your relationship by not letting these boundaries slide.

We love seeing photos of you and your mentee spending time together! Please share them with us via your coach or using the hashtag #intentionalmentoringmadison

Mentor Coaching Group Meeting Dates:

MARILYN: TBD  marilyn@intentionalmentoringmadison.org

VAL: Tuesday, July 14th 5:30-:30 p.m.  val@intentionalmentoringmadison.org

ASHLEY: Thursday, July 16th 7-8 a.m.  ashley@intentionalmentoringmadison.org

RYAN: Monday, July 6th 5:30 – 6:30 p.m.  Ryan@intentionalmentoringmadison.org

Upcoming Events to Note

• Annual Intentional Mentoring Cookout – postponed until the fall. We just didn’t see a way to do this in a way that was comfortable and safe for all. We’re really hoping to be able to get us all together for food and connection in the fall!
• Goodman Pool is opening in July AND they’re offering pool admission scholarships! Check it out here!
• If your mentee and/or their family are in need of any free meals during this uncertain time, please check out the YMCA’s post 7 Free Food Sites
• There are a lot of cool and FREE events at the Dream Bank on E. Washington St.. Check out the AmFam Dream Bank site for more info and to register. 
• For a listing of local events checkout www.MadisonWithKids.com
• Free Library Events/Activities: Fitchburg Events Calendar  Madison Events Calendar
• For Orchard Ridge events check Orchard Ridge Calendar
• For Toki events check Toki Calendar 
• For Sennett events check Sennett Calendar
• For Cherokee events check Cherokee Calendar
• For Blackhawk events check Blackhawk Calendar
• For JMM HS events check Memorial HS Calendar
• For West HS events checkWest HS Calendar
• For La Follette HS events check La Follette Calendar

If you have a change in personal information (phone/address/email) please respond to this email or notify your mentor coach ASAP. 

QUOTE of the WEEK

All the best,

Intentional Mentoring

This July heat – oh my word! It just never ends. Stay cool out there people. Water is your friend!

CONGRATULATIONS to our activity box raffle winners, Megan and her mentee Amoni!! We are so excited about all of the fun you’ll be having together at Michael’s Frozen Custard, Vitense Golfland and Marcus Theaters! Ice cream, mini-golf and movies – yippee!

Don’t forget to follow us and tag us on social media! Look for IntentionalMentoringMadison on FB, Instagram and Twitter!

Challenge for the week:

For July, the challenges will center around the theme of Independence. This week’s challenge is work on teaching your mentee self-help. The big idea here is to delay assistance for your mentee just long enough for them to see how, by being resourceful, they can figure some things out for themselves. Maybe your mentee is struggling with an issue in summer school or with a friend, ask them to come up with a few possible solutions before you give advice. Maybe you’re playing a game together and your mentee is stuck and can’t figure out a move, again, ask them to come up with possible solutions before you give any advice. The goal here is for your mentee to learn that, in some situations, they are independent enough to help themselves!

BONUS CHALLENGE: July is Career Readiness Month so lets learn about how you can help your mentee start preparing now. Step 1: Find out what your mentee wants to be when they grow up. If they have several ideas, learn more about their specific interests in each. If they have one idea, find out what made them hone in on that one. If they don’t have any ideas, help them sort through their interests and then share some careers that match those interests. If you need help, have them fill out this interest survey.

TIP of the WEEK: Part of having strong communication in a relationship is giving and receiving feedback. This can be tough to do, but it’s key in building lasting relationships that empower all people involved. Start easy with things like, how do you think I did at planning our time together today? Or, ask for feedback on which of your meetings your mentee has enjoyed the most and why. Also be sure to give your mentee feedback on how they responded to different situations or how well they handled the conversations you had. If your mentee missed your time together or didn’t respond to your text, let them know how that made you feel. The more feedback you’re willing to give and receive, the closer you and your mentee will become!

We love seeing photos of you and your mentee spending time together! Please share them with us via your coach or using the hashtag #intentionalmentoringmadison

Mentor Coaching Group Meeting Dates:

MARILYN: TBD  marilyn@intentionalmentoringmadison.org

VAL: Tuesday, July 14th 5:30-:30 p.m.  val@intentionalmentoringmadison.org

ASHLEY: Thursday, July 16th 7-8 a.m.  ashley@intentionalmentoringmadison.org

RYAN: Monday, July 6th 5:30 – 6:30 p.m.  Ryan@intentionalmentoringmadison.org

Upcoming Events to Note

• Annual Intentional Mentoring Cookout! Date/event subject to change due to ongoing COVID-19 concerns. Make sure you talk to your mentee and their family about coming! The more the merrier! Also, feel free to bring games and chairs/blankets!
• Goodman Pool is opening in July AND they’re offering pool admission scholarships! Check it out here!
• If your mentee and/or their family are in need of any free meals during this uncertain time, please check out the YMCA’s post 7 Free Food Sites
• There are a lot of cool and FREE events at the Dream Bank on E. Washington St.. Check out the AmFam Dream Bank site for more info and to register. 
• For a listing of local events checkout www.MadisonWithKids.com
• Free Library Events/Activities: Fitchburg Events Calendar  Madison Events Calendar
• For Orchard Ridge events check Orchard Ridge Calendar
• For Toki events check Toki Calendar 
• For Sennett events check Sennett Calendar
• For Cherokee events check Cherokee Calendar
• For Blackhawk events check Blackhawk Calendar
• For JMM HS events check Memorial HS Calendar
• For West HS events checkWest HS Calendar
• For La Follette HS events check La Follette Calendar

If you have a change in personal information (phone/address/email) please respond to this email or notify your mentor coach ASAP. 

QUOTE of the WEEK

“Show me a successful individual and I’ll show you someone who had real positive influences in his or her life. I don’t care what you do for a living—if you do it well I’m sure there was someone cheering you on or showing the way. A mentor.” ~ Denzel Washington

All the best,

Intentional Mentoring

It’s almost July! What are you doing to celebrate the 4th this year? Things will probably look a little different this year, for several reasons, but we hope the holiday brings you good times and good cheer none the less! ❤️💙

REMINDER: Now that you’ve delivered an activity box to your mentee, it’s time to play! Anyone who sends us a photo and a brief description of your experience doing the activity with your mentee by FRIDAY, JULY 3rd will be entered into a raffle for a chance to win $75 worth of gift cards to use to have more fun together!

Don’t forget to follow us and tag us on social media! Look for IntentionalMentoringMadison on FB, Instagram and Twitter!

Challenge for the week:

For July, the challenges will center around the theme of Independence. This week’s challenge is to think about ways you can encourage your mentee to be independent and then facilitate a way for them to try it out. Going to get some ice cream? Have your mentee place their own order. At a museum or other local event? Encourage your mentee to ask a staff member a question. Going somewhere new? Have your mentee stop to ask for directions. See how comfortable your mentee is with being independent in these ways in order to give yourself some perspective about where you can grow together!

BONUS CHALLENGE: July is Career Readiness Month so lets learn about how you can help your mentee start preparing now. Step 1: Find out what your mentee wants to be when they grow up. If they have several ideas, learn more about their specific interests in each. If they have one idea, find out what made them hone in on that one. If they don’t have any ideas, help them sort through their interests and then share some careers that match those interests. If you need help, have them fill out this interest survey.

TIP of the WEEK: Open and honest communication are keys to strong relationships. Be sure to set up a communication plan with your mentee – figure out if you will text, call, e-mail or use other social media channels to keep in touch. Determine what is the best day of the week and/or time to reach each other. Once your communication plan is set, be sure to stick to it and let each other know if anything changes or if you feel it’s not working for one of you.

We love seeing photos of you and your mentee spending time together! Please share them with us via your coach or using the hashtag #intentionalmentoringmadison

Mentor Coaching Group Meeting Dates:

MARILYN: TBD  marilyn@intentionalmentoringmadison.org

VAL: Tuesday, July 14th 5:30-:30 p.m.  val@intentionalmentoringmadison.org

ASHLEY: Thursday, July 16th 7-8 a.m.  ashley@intentionalmentoringmadison.org

RYAN: Monday, July 6th 5:30 – 6:30 p.m.  Ryan@intentionalmentoringmadison.org

Upcoming Events to Note

• Annual Intentional Mentoring Cookout! Date/event subject to change due to ongoing COVID-19 concerns. Make sure you talk to your mentee and their family about coming! The more the merrier! Also, feel free to bring games and chairs/blankets!
• Goodman Pool is opening in July AND they’re offering pool admission scholarships! Check it out here!
• MMSD is excited to share a variety of summer employment programs will be available for students in grades 8 through 12, all over Madison, including volunteer positions and career development opportunities. If your mentee is interested, have them fill out this interest form!
• If your mentee and/or their family are in need of any free meals during this uncertain time, please check out the YMCA’s post 7 Free Food Sites
• There are a lot of cool and FREE events at the Dream Bank on E. Washington St.. Check out the AmFam Dream Bank site for more info and to register. 
• For a listing of local events checkout www.MadisonWithKids.com
• Free Library Events/Activities: Fitchburg Events Calendar  Madison Events Calendar
• For Orchard Ridge events check Orchard Ridge Calendar
• For Toki events check Toki Calendar 
• For Sennett events check Sennett Calendar
• For Cherokee events check Cherokee Calendar
• For Blackhawk events check Blackhawk Calendar
• For JMM HS events check Memorial HS Calendar
• For West HS events checkWest HS Calendar
• For La Follette HS events check La Follette Calendar

If you have a change in personal information (phone/address/email) please respond to this email or notify your mentor coach ASAP. 

QUOTE of the WEEK

“A lot of people put pressure on themselves and think it will be way too hard for them to live out their dreams. Mentors are there to say, ‘Look, it’s not that tough. It’s not as hard as you think. Here are some guidelines and things I have gone through to get to where I am in my career”. ~ Joe Jonas

All the best,

Intentional Mentoring

Happy Father’s Day to you and your loved ones! We hope that today you are able to celebrate the fathers in your lives, the fatherly role you play, the memories or fathers who have passed and/or the hope of one day being a father.

REMINDER: Doorstep Activity Boxes are ready to go! Please plan to pick up and deliver your box to your mentee by the end of this week! Text KatieMae (262-366-0030) to let her know when you’ll swing by to get it. Reply to this email ASAP if you are unable to pick up and deliver your mentee’s box so that we can make other arrangements. More details are in the email I sent out on Friday.

Don’t forget to follow us and tag us on social media! Look for IntentionalMentoringMadison on FB, Instagram and Twitter!

Challenge for the week:

For June, the challenges will center around the theme of Embrace Diversity. This week’s challenge is to learn about other cultures. You could share and talk about you and your mentee’s cultural traditions, learn to say a few words in another language (check out Ways to Say Hello in Different Languages), try some ethnic foods (Best Ethnic Restaurants in Madison) or visit a cultural exhibit (Visit Madison – Museums & Galleries). Explore and learn together!

BONUS CHALLENGE: We can’t let any more time pass without doing the work to fight for social justice. This month’s bonus challenge is to begin or continue the work in yourself. I don’t know where each of you are in your journey or what you need to hear, but I do know that we are all works in progress with room to grow. Here are several resources to help you on your journey. Anti-Racist Resources

TIP of the WEEK: It can be hard to remember that a mentor’s role is not to be a friend or a parent but to be a listening ear, a voice of wisdom and a source of truth. Hold tight to your role and never underestimate its value in your mentee’s life!  

We love seeing photos of you and your mentee spending time together! Please share them with us via your coach or using the hashtag #intentionalmentoringmadison

Mentor Coaching Group Meeting Dates:

MARILYN: Thursday, June 25th 7-8 p.m. marilyn@intentionalmentoringmadison.org

VAL: Tuesday, June 9th 5:30-:30 p.m. val@intentionalmentoringmadison.org

ASHLEY: Thursday, June 18th 7-8 a.m. ashley@intentionalmentoringmadison.org

RYAN: Monday, June 1st 5:30 – 6:30 p.m.  Ryan@intentionalmentoringmadison.org

Upcoming Events to Note

• Annual Intentional Mentoring Cookout! Date/event subject to change due to ongoing COVID-19 concerns. Make sure you talk to your mentee and their family about coming! The more the merrier! Also, feel free to bring games and chairs/blankets! More details to come.
• Goodman Pool is opening in July AND they’re offering pool admission scholarships! Check it out here!
• MMSD is excited to share a variety of summer employment programs will be available for students in grades 8 through 12, all over Madison, including volunteer positions and career development opportunities. If your mentee is interested, have them fill out this interest form!
• If your mentee and/or their family are in need of any free meals during this uncertain time, please check out the YMCA’s post 7 Free Food Sites
• There are a lot of cool and FREE events at the Dream Bank on E. Washington St.. Check out the AmFam Dream Bank site for more info and to register. 
• For a listing of local events checkout www.MadisonWithKids.com
• Free Library Events/Activities: Fitchburg Events Calendar  Madison Events Calendar
• For Orchard Ridge events check Orchard Ridge Calendar
• For Toki events check Toki Calendar 
• For Sennett events check Sennett Calendar
• For Cherokee events check Cherokee Calendar
• For Blackhawk events check Blackhawk Calendar
• For JMM HS events check Memorial HS Calendar
• For West HS events checkWest HS Calendar
• For La Follette HS events check La Follette Calendar

If you have a change in personal information (phone/address/email) please respond to this email or notify your mentor coach ASAP. 

QUOTE of the WEEK

All the best,

Intentional Mentoring

It’s SUMMER BREAK for your mentees! No more virtual learning for the next 3 months. Time for less screens and more play! Woo hoo!

***If you are having ANY trouble at all staying in touch or connected with your mentee while we’re in quarantine, LET YOUR COACH KNOW RIGHT AWAY!***

Don’t forget to follow us and tag us on social media! Look for IntentionalMentoringMadison on FB, Instagram and Twitter!

Challenge for the week:

For June, the challenges will center around the theme of Embrace Diversity. This week’s challenge is to take a look at diversity in the arts. There are many cultural influences in music, art and dance, some that your mentee may be aware of, and others that they may not be aware of. In order to expose your mentee to different styles, you could take a trip to the art museum or to the music store. If that’s not an option, pull up YouTube and search up cultural dances and songs. Perhaps you could go to the library and ask the librarian to help you locate books or magazines about art, dance or music from different cultures. (There are lots of virtual options for all of these ideas!) Have your mentee share the arts of their culture and make sure that you share the arts of yours too!

BONUS CHALLENGE: We can’t let any more time pass without doing the work to fight for social justice. This month’s bonus challenge is to begin or continue the work in yourself. I don’t know where each of you are in your journey or what you need to hear, but I do know that we are all works in progress with room to grow. Here are several resources to help you on your journey. Anti-Racist Resources

TIP of the WEEK: Relationships can be difficult you guys. They take work and effort and patience and trust and commitment. That’s a lot! When your mentee isn’t opening up as much as you’d like or connecting with you as much as you’d like, remind yourself of these things. Take a step back, look at what you’ve tried and what you haven’t yet tried. Can you contact a family member, reach out in a new way (via social media perhaps) or talk to your mentee about how you’re feeling? Don’t forget that you also have coach you can lean on. There’s no issue too small for you to talk to your coach about!

We love seeing photos of you and your mentee spending time together! Please share them with us via your coach or using the hashtag #intentionalmentoringmadison

AS THINGS ARE STARTING TO OPEN UP, IN PERSON COACHING IS BECOMING MORE REALISTIC AGAIN. REACH OUT TO YOUR COACH FOR SPECIFIC INFORMATION ABOUT YOUR GROUP.

Mentor Coaching Group Meeting Dates:

MARILYN: Thursday, June 25th 7-8 p.m. marilyn@intentionalmentoringmadison.org

VAL: Tuesday, June 9th 5:30-:30 p.m. val@intentionalmentoringmadison.org

ASHLEY: Thursday, June 18th 7-8 a.m. ashley@intentionalmentoringmadison.org

RYAN: Monday, June 1st 5:30 – 6:30 p.m.  Ryan@intentionalmentoringmadison.org

Upcoming Events to Note

• MMSD is excited to share a variety of summer employment programs will be available for students in grades 8 through 12, all over Madison, including volunteer positions and career development opportunities. If your mentee is interested, have them fill out this interest form!
• If your mentee and/or their family are in need of any free meals during this uncertain time, please check out the YMCA’s post 7 Free Food Sites
• There are a lot of cool and FREE events at the Dream Bank on E. Washington St.. Check out the AmFam Dream Bank site for more info and to register. 
• For a listing of local events checkout www.MadisonWithKids.com
• Free Library Events/Activities: Fitchburg Events Calendar  Madison Events Calendar
• For Orchard Ridge events check Orchard Ridge Calendar
• For Toki events check Toki Calendar 
• For Sennett events check Sennett Calendar
• For Cherokee events check Cherokee Calendar
• For Blackhawk events check Blackhawk Calendar
• For JMM HS events check Memorial HS Calendar
• For West HS events checkWest HS Calendar
• For La Follette HS events check La Follette Calendar

If you have a change in personal information (phone/address/email) please respond to this email or notify your mentor coach ASAP. 

QUOTE of the WEEK

​It is time for parents to teach young people early on that in diversity there is beauty and there is strength.   ~Maya Angelou

All the best,

Intentional Mentoring

With the events of the last couple of weeks, we want to extend another huge thank you for the ways you are working in your relationships to elevate the voices of our mentees and families.  We want to make sure you feel supported, and that our black students and families feel seen and heard.  Please reach out to your mentor coach if you need anything regarding recent events OR COVID.

We sent an email two weeks ago and we wanted to provide some official guidance and next steps for our Intentional Mentoring Community.  Please know that we will continue to follow guidance from the CDC and other governmental agencies and will send you updates about changes as necessary. 
Any questions or concerns should be brought to your mentor coaches.  As we move into this time, we maintain the perspective that our response will always be out of care for our mentees, families, and community.
We are including the expected guidelines so you can begin to move back to in-person mentoring as you see fit.  The expectation is still to be in quality communication with your mentee because your relationship matters.

In-Person Mentoring will begin with the following guidelines:

1. Mentors must be comfortable resuming in-person mentoring.  The mentor should not have COVID related symptoms or have been exposed to a confirmed case in the last 2 weeks.  If they are not comfortable or either of the above are true, they can relay this to the family.  If they would like wording from Intentional Mentoring as they share this with the family, they can ask their mentor coach and decide on the next steps.
2. Mentors must speak with students and families to confirm comfort level before resuming any in-person mentoring.  If they would like support in this, we can help reach out to families, but we encourage that it comes from the mentor because of their relational level.  This conversation should confirm that the mentee and family have not had COVID related symptoms or been exposed to any confirmed cases in the last 2 weeks.
3. Mentors must wear a face mask out of care for our mentees and families.  Mentees can wear a mask if they would like (we can provide for either mentor or mentee a mask if needed- please ask your coach).  Mentors should ask mentees if they would like one.
4. We encourage frequent hand-washing and avoidance of face-touching.
5. Mentors should suggest unpopulated, outside areas for mentor meet-ups.  If mentors need help coming up with ideas, they should speak with their mentor coach.
6. Mentors should try to find activities based on student interests (to support positive summer activity).  We will be launching a Doorstep Interest Box soon to help support positive summer activities.  You should be on the lookout for more information.  However, if students are coming up with things they would like to do, you can share with us and we will craft a box with supplies related to their interest and ideas for activities to do with the support of their mentor.  We will try to incorporate some sort of challenge in these boxes that will be dropped at their doorsteps.  The challenges will hopefully help positive engagement during the summer.

Once again, thanks for all you do, and please let your mentor coach know if you have any questions or concerns!
Best,
Katie Mae and the Intentional Mentoring Team

The vision of Intentional Mentoring is that, in the face of adversity, students will prevail. Today, perhaps more than other days, we can see clearly just some of the adversity our students are facing. Always, but especially in the midst of a global pandemic and a fight for social justice, we want ALL of our mentees and ALL of you to know that we SEE you, we HEAR you, we VALUE you, we CARE for you and we will continue to reflect and make changes so that we can DO BETTER for you. 💙

***If you are having ANY trouble at all staying in touch or connected with your mentee while we’re in quarantine, LET YOUR COACH KNOW RIGHT AWAY!***

Don’t forget to follow us and tag us on social media! Look for IntentionalMentoringMadison on FB, Instagram and Twitter!

Challenge for the week:

For June, the challenges will center around the theme of Embracing Diversity. This week’s challenge is to expose your mentee to a situation that shows them some of the diversity in our world. This could mean playing at a park or walking through a neighborhood unlike their own, reading a book or watching a movie about children/people who have a different cultural background than them, or looking for a cultural event going on around the city (perhaps it’s happening virtually!). No matter how you embrace diversity, be sure to talk to your mentee about their thoughts and feelings and, most importantly, be sure to LISTEN!

BONUS CHALLENGE: We can’t let any more time pass without doing the work to fight for social justice. This month’s bonus challenge is to begin or continue the work in yourself. I don’t know where each of you are in your journey or what you need to hear, but I do know that we are all works in progress with room to grown. Here are several resources to help you on your journey. Anti-Racist Resources

TIP of the WEEK: Goals, goals, goals, goals, goals. You’re probably sick of me talking about goals and your mentee might be sick of talking about them too. BUT, if we don’t talk about them, they may not happen. Ahhh! So, maybe you take a break from talking and give the action steps some time to get moving and THEN you talk about them again. Because, of course, you can’t just set a goal, make some action steps and then never check-in. It’s hard for adults to stick to their goals (hello New Year’s Resolutions . . . ) so imagine how important it is for a student to have someone holding them accountable. Keep checking in. Keep nagging if you have to. Trust me, they’ll thank you later 🙂

We love seeing photos of you and your mentee spending time together! Please share them with us via your coach or using the hashtag #intentionalmentoringmadison

AS THINGS ARE STARTING TO OPEN UP, IN PERSON COACHING IS BECOMING MORE REALISTIC AGAIN. REACH OUT TO YOUR COACH FOR SPECIFIC INFORMATION ABOUT YOUR GROUP.

Mentor Coaching Group Meeting Dates:

MARILYN: Thursday, May 25th 7-8 p.m. marilyn@intentionalmentoringmadison.org

VAL: Tuesday, June 9th 5:30-:30 p.m. val @intentionalmentoringmadison.org

ASHLEY: Thursday, June 18th 7-8 a.m. ashley@intentionalmentoringmadison.org

RYAN: Monday, June 1st 5:30 – 6:30 p.m.  Ryan@intentionalmentoringmadison.org

Upcoming Events to Note

• If your mentee and/or their family are in need of any free meals during this uncertain time, please check out the YMCA’s post 7 Free Food Sites
• There are a lot of cool and FREE events at the Dream Bank on E. Washington St.. Check out the AmFam Dream Bank site for more info and to register. 
• For a listing of local events checkout www.MadisonWithKids.com
• Free Library Events/Activities: Fitchburg Events Calendar  Madison Events Calendar
• For Orchard Ridge events check Orchard Ridge Calendar
• For Toki events check Toki Calendar 
• For Sennett events check Sennett Calendar
• For Cherokee events check Cherokee Calendar
• For Blackhawk events check Blackhawk Calendar
• For JMM HS events check Memorial HS Calendar
• For West HS events checkWest HS Calendar
• For La Follette HS events check La Follette Calendar

If you have a change in personal information (phone/address/email) please respond to this email or notify your mentor coach ASAP. 

QUOTE of the WEEK

“Mentors are not there to make us happy. They are there to guide us to the best of their knowledge. ~ Samira DeAndrade

All the best,

Intentional Mentoring

Happy Memorial Day, Folks! We are extremely grateful for all who have served and fought for our freedom. ❤️💙

***If you are having ANY trouble at all staying in touch or connected with your mentee while we’re in quarantine, LET YOUR COACH KNOW RIGHT AWAY!***

Don’t forget to follow us and tag us on social media! Look for IntentionalMentoringMadison on FB, Instagram and Twitter!

Challenge for the week:

For May, the challenges will center around the theme of Live Healthy, Be Healthy. This week’s challenge is to pick one area of health to keep working on with your mentee. In which area of their life are they the most unhealthy? Check-in and see what they would like to work on and then make a plan to work on it together! Maybe it’s competing with each other for total number of steps per day. Or, maybe you both agree to eat two green vegetables each day. Maybe you help your mentee start journaling and encourage them to use it as a place to reflect and sort out their thoughts. Help your mentee choose an area of health, make a plan and then be sure to follow-up to see how things are going!

BONUS CHALLENGE: May is Mental Health Awareness month. It’s normal for children and youth to experience a wide range of strong emotions as they grow and mature. However, when extreme emotions start having negative effects on relationships and daily activities, it’s time to intervene. Check out YouthGov.Org for more information.

TIP of the WEEK: Let’s talk more goal setting. Remember, goals may be hard for your mentee to see purpose in, see feasibility in or see a path toward. Once you’ve gotten a sense of what your mentee wants to accomplish, start talking about what they’re already doing to get there. Do they even know what they could/should be doing to get there? Help them break this process down!

We love seeing photos of you and your mentee spending time together! Please share them with us via your coach or using the hashtag #intentionalmentoringmadison

REMINDER: ALL COACHING MEETINGS WILL BE HELD VIRTUALLY UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE. REACH OUT TO YOUR COACH FOR SPECIFIC DAY, TIME AND PLATFORM INFO.

Mentor Coaching Group Meeting Dates:

MARILYN: Week of May, April 26th 7-8 p.m. marilyn@intentionalmentoringmadison.org

VAL: Tuesday, May 12th 5:30-:30 p.m. val @intentionalmentoringmadison.org

ASHLEY: During the week of May 20th 7-8 a.m. ashley@intentionalmentoringmadison.org

RYAN: Monday, May 4th 5:30 – 6:30 p.m.  Ryan@intentionalmentoringmadison.org

Upcoming Events to Note

• If your mentee and/or their family are in need of any free meals during this uncertain time, please check out the YMCA’s post 7 Free Food Sites
• There are a lot of cool and FREE events at the Dream Bank on E. Washington St.. Check out the AmFam Dream Bank site for more info and to register. 
• For a listing of local events checkout www.MadisonWithKids.com
• Free Library Events/Activities: Fitchburg Events Calendar  Madison Events Calendar
• For Orchard Ridge events check Orchard Ridge Calendar
• For Toki events check Toki Calendar 
• For Sennett events check Sennett Calendar
• For Cherokee events check Cherokee Calendar
• For Blackhawk events check Blackhawk Calendar
• For JMM HS events check Memorial HS Calendar
• For West HS events checkWest HS Calendar
• For La Follette HS events check La Follette Calendar

If you have a change in personal information (phone/address/email) please respond to this email or notify your mentor coach ASAP. 

QUOTE of the WEEK

All the best,

Intentional Mentoring

Here we are cruising right through May! It’s supposed to be so warm this week. I hope you are able to get out and soak up some of that heat!

***If you are having ANY trouble at all staying in touch or connected with your mentee while we’re in quarantine, LET YOUR COACH KNOW RIGHT AWAY!***

Don’t forget to follow us and tag us on social media! Look for IntentionalMentoringMadison on FB, Instagram and Twitter!

Challenge for the week:

For May, the challenges will center around the theme of Live Healthy, Be Healthy. This week’s challenge is to talk to your mentee about social health. What do you know about your mentee’s friendships? Do they have lots of friends, a few close friends, one good friend? Do they fall prey to peer pressure, do things just to fit in? Ask them what school is like outside of class? What do they do at lunch or recess? What does it feel like for them when a teacher says “find a partner to work with?” Are they more of a follower or more of a leader? What are their family relationships like? Share your experiences, ask them about theirs, challenge their thoughts and your own!

BONUS CHALLENGE: May is Mental Health Awareness month. It’s normal for children and youth to experience a wide range of strong emotions as they grow and mature. However, when extreme emotions start having negative effects on relationships and daily activities, it’s time to intervene. Check out YouthGov.Org for more information.

TIP of the WEEK: Goals are so helpful but can be so difficult for kids to set. That’s where you come in! Do you know what interests your mentee wants to pursue in the near future? Mostly likely, your mentee has thought about interests, dreams and/or a career they’d like to pursue someday. However, it’s just as likely they don’t have a plan for how they’ll get there. Talking about goal setting, making action steps and creating a plan could put your mentee on a pretty big learning cure. However, the sooner they get on that curve, the sooner they reach their goals! And, you’ll be right there with them supporting them along the way!

We love seeing photos of you and your mentee spending time together! Please share them with us via your coach or using the hashtag #intentionalmentoringmadison

REMINDER: ALL COACHING MEETINGS WILL BE HELD VIRTUALLY UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE. REACH OUT TO YOUR COACH FOR SPECIFIC DAY, TIME AND PLATFORM INFO.

Mentor Coaching Group Meeting Dates:

MARILYN: Week of May, April 26th 7-8 p.m. marilyn@intentionalmentoringmadison.org

VAL: Tuesday, May 12th 5:30-:30 p.m. val @intentionalmentoringmadison.org

ASHLEY: During the week of May 20th 7-8 a.m. ashley@intentionalmentoringmadison.org

RYAN: Monday, May 4th 5:30 – 6:30 p.m.  Ryan@intentionalmentoringmadison.org

Upcoming Events to Note

• If your mentee and/or their family are in need of any free meals during this uncertain time, please check out the YMCA’s post 7 Free Food Sites
• There are a lot of cool and FREE events at the Dream Bank on E. Washington St.. Check out the AmFam Dream Bank site for more info and to register. 
• For a listing of local events checkout www.MadisonWithKids.com
• Free Library Events/Activities: Fitchburg Events Calendar  Madison Events Calendar
• For Orchard Ridge events check Orchard Ridge Calendar
• For Toki events check Toki Calendar 
• For Sennett events check Sennett Calendar
• For Cherokee events check Cherokee Calendar
• For Blackhawk events check Blackhawk Calendar
• For JMM HS events check Memorial HS Calendar
• For West HS events checkWest HS Calendar
• For La Follette HS events check La Follette Calendar

If you have a change in personal information (phone/address/email) please respond to this email or notify your mentor coach ASAP. 

QUOTE of the WEEK

All the best,

Intentional Mentoring