Each new school year we look forward to visiting our mentees who have grown up a little and learned something new over the summer.  The physical, emotional and mental changes in our mentees are inevitable, and seem most obvious after being away from them over the summer months.  Our mentors whose mentees are entering 6th or 9th grades have an additional challenge they must navigate for the first time; Middle or High School!  To best prepare them, Seedling offers virtual trainings at the beginning of each school year, designed to help mentors make a successful shift to their mentee’s new Middle or High School.  By understanding our mentee’s developmental stages and considering their new and different school environment, we can better support them with empathy and heart. If you have any questions your Mentor Director will be happy to help.

Seedling has a number of resources for those of you who miss the trainings.  The MS Shift Training  and HS Shift Training powerpoints are a great place to start.  Additionally we have a MS Transition Training video and a detailed list of some major differences between elementary and middle school.  For those shifting to High School be sure to read the Welcome to High School letter. And finally for those mentoring any child who is enrolled in a new school, we have some general tips for transitioning.

Our first training for ALL Seedling Mentors is in just a few weeks!  Mark your calendars for September 14th and watch your email for an invitation to this virtual lunchtime training.  Our discussion of developmental stages and mentoring goals will help prepare you for a rewarding year of mentoring!