In 1994, C.H.O.I.C.E. created a non-traditional mentoring program through the “Dare to Dream” Sports Leadership and Mentoring program by adding cross-age peer mentoring to the agency’s existing selfhelp educational group counseling format.
The “Dare to Dream” program encompasses high school athletes from Fern Creek Traditional and Iroquois High School who mentor students (4th and 5th grade) from Watterson and Whitney Young Elementary. Mentors receive eight weeks of group sessions before participating in Advanced Mentoring Training: Phase I and then are paired mentees per gender specifics upon completing the training. The overall goal of all C.H.O.I.C.E. programming is to aid youth and adolescents in navigating issues at home, school, and the community by bolstering resilience levels, coping skills, and problem-solving skills to make positive choices. C.H.O.I.C.E. offers group counseling settings and one-on-one cross-age mentoring.
C.H.O.I.C.E. Staff meet with Mentors and Mentees for will meet one class period per week for 28 weeks during school hours. The mentoring process is both one-on-one and group oriented. Once a month, mentors and mentees visit each other’s’ school or a place in the community to participate in Mentoring Experiences for various skill building activities. The “Dare to Dream: program allows students to see that they have control over their behavioral responses. Students gain wisdom via an empowered sense of self-worth by developing positive skills in dealing with life stressors. All participants build competencies to positively progress toward adulthood.
