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2020 Summer Pen Pal Program
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April 27, 2020
Seedling
End of Year | Uncategorized

Caregivers, mentees, and mentors have understood from the onset of the relationship that Seedling is a school-based program and that mentors have contact with the students only at school with one approved exception: the summer pen-pal program.  This summer option traditionally involved writing letters from mentors to mentees, and sometimes from mentees to mentors, through the U.S. mail via the Seedling office. Since March, we have experienced significant changes that have impacted our matches.  This means we will be making some small adjustments to our summer pen-pal program.  If you are interested in continuing to exchange messages with your mentee through the summer, read on to learn how that will look.

Follow these simple steps to have everything in place before the school year ends:

  • If you are currently exchanging messages with your mentee and your School Contact (ie School Counselor or CIS Program Manager) is acting as the conduit
    • On or before May 15, 2020 please let your School Contact know that you would be interested in continuing this exchange through the summer.  **Be sure to cc your Mentor Director!
    • By May 28th your School Contact will need to confirm
      • Your mentee is interested,
      • Consent from your mentee’s caregiver,
      • The method the family chooses for message exchange and confirmation of that address.
    • You will transition to exchanging messages through info@seedlingmentors.org starting the first week of June.
  • If you are currently exchanging messages with your mentee and your Mentor Director is acting as the conduitOn or before May 15, 2020 please let your Mentor Director know that you would be interested in continuing this exchange through the summer. 
  • By May 28th, 2020 your Mentor Director will need to confirmYour mentee is interested,
  • Continued consent from your mentee’s caregiver,
  • The method the family chooses for message exchange and confirmation of that address.
  • Some of our MDs work through the summer, and some do not. If your MD does work through the summer your process won’t change. If your MD does not work through the summer, then beginning in June you will exchange messages through info@seedlingmentors.org. Your MD will advise which process to follow.
  • You will continue to send your messages via email.  Your messages will be shared via email unless the family has specified an alternative.
  • Due to the anticipated volume of participants, Seedling will be unable to forward packages of any kind from mentors to mentees this summer.
  • We will not share your email address with your mentee or vice versa.

Important note:

Continue to write messages that are genuine, but also positive and age-appropriate.
Assume that your letters will be read by family members.
And finally, know that your mentee enjoys hearing from you, even if you do not hear back from the student.
**** Also for those families who don’t have reliable access to email and have opted to receive your emailed messages from Seedling via USPS, there’s a possibility your mentee’s family may move during the summer before receiving the letter and it may never arrive. If that happens and the letter is returned to Seedling, we will alert you to the returned, undelivered message.

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