Sun Lakes
Rotary Club
STRIVE Rotary Youth Mentoring Program
“Be the Best You Can
Be” May 1, 2000
To Whom It May Concern:
THE STRIVE Youth
Mentoring Project is a motivational program for at-risk senior high
specifically at under-achievers who find themselves in the lower third of the
junior and senior classes -- who have the potential to succeed academically, but fail to
measure up in terms of grade point average, class attendance, punctuality, study
habits, and attitude. Without a boost, some of the students qualified for
STRIVE will drop out of high school.
Few will receive advanced education, and most of these at-risk students
will not achieve their potential for a quality life.
We are not only
concerned about the STRIVE Student’s future, but also for the minimal quality
of life resulting for his or her ultimate partner in life, their children, and
family members. For every at-risk student we can encourage to complete high
school and get an advanced education:
· we break a cycle of poverty
· we increase the potential for the individual
to make a contribution to society
· we improve the quality of life for the
immediate and future family units
· we set an example for the next generation of
the family
With the assistance of
high school staff, corporate and individual sponsors, Chandler Gilbert
Community College, EV1T, dozens of mentors, and members of the Sun Lakes Rotary
Club and community ~~ our
goal is to teach and motivate the student to make the right choices during his/
her years at high school. We offer specialized training in self-discipline, personal planning, goal
setting, time management, good study habits, and career decision-making and
developing a personal mission statement.
Each student and
his/her parents will enter into an agreement with the Sun Lakes Rotary Club to strive
to achieve the goals of the program. Each student enrolled will have an
individual mentor assigned to assist with achieving the requirements of the
program: 1) attend class regularly; 2) report to classes on time; 3) bring
appropriate learning material to class; 4) participate in learning activities
as directed by the teacher; 5) treat others with respect and dignity; 6)
obey reasonable requests of the teacher and mentor; 7) attend all STRIVE
programs; and 8) work with the mentor during all STRIVE programs and
activities. The mentor will be available to support and encourage the student
for the entire length of the program.
The STRIVE program will
run from September through April. Students and mentors will meet once each
month at an off-campus industrial or educational site to learn about career
opportunities. The mentor-mentee teams will also meet monthly at the high
school to discuss the student’s goals, progress to date, and how to apply the
life planning skills discussed during each meeting.
The top prize for each
school, awarded to the student who achieves the greatest improvement in grade
point average, will be a $2,000 scholarship to a community college or technical
school of the student’s choice. Second prize is a $1,000 scholarship, and a
third prize of a $500 scholarship. In addition, a $500 cash award will be given
to the student who demonstrates the greatest improvement in attitude during the
duration of the STRIVE year.
Sincerely yours,
Rod W. Carruthers, STRIVE General
Chairman