UNH Cooperative Extension is pleased to announce it has been selected as one of the recipients of the 4-H National Mentoring Grants funded by the U.S. Department of Justice Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP). In NH we will use the grant to develop the Youth and Families with Promise (YFP) model program in several locations across the state. In Carroll County we will be working to establish after-school youth mentoring programs in Tamworth and Ossipee. Cooperative Extension will be working with local schools and partners to recruit mentors to work with small groups of youth who would benefit from the time spent with a caring adult in a 4-H afterschool program.
4-H Afterschool Clubs provide an opportunity to connect youth with caring adults in a safe space to explore, experience and make new things, while learning and developing life skills and confidence. Adult mentors from the community are the foundation of a solid 4-H program and work together to provide fun positive experiences for youth. Cooperative Extension is looking for community members who are interested in mentoring one to four local youth during weekly afterschool meetings for a year. Mentors will work as part of a team to hold weekly afterschool 4-H meetings centered around a learning philosophy based on experiential learning and making things. Mentors will work with youth on hands on projects based on the interest of both youth and mentors. They might make simple crafts, sew garments to wear, prepare meals, design and make things from wood or iron, or even light up everyday items by adding LED lights. Mentors may have specific skills to offer or they might just have an interest in helping youth and trying new things. Extension will provide training in working with youth, planning afterschool meetings and project ideas. In 4-H, youth, families and mentors all become part of a community that supports each other in fostering the growth of our youth.
There will be two informational meetings for anyone curious about being a 4-H Mentor or supporting youth mentoring. The first meeting will be at the Ossipee Central School library on January 30th at 4:30 pm and a second meeting will be at the K.A Brett School on February 1st at 5:00. There will be a short discussion on the benefits to youth, families and communities of mentoring programs and an overview of the Youth and Families with Promise program and how to be a mentor or support the program. For more information contact Claes Thelemarck at the UNH Cooperative Extension in Conway at 447-3834 or email at claes.thelemarck@unh.edu.
