Typically, after Columbus High School senior Jordan Harris finishes his British Literature class at East Mississippi Community College, he heads home for the day.
For the rest of the school year, though, Harris will drive to his former elementary school, Fairview Elementary, to mentor younger students Mondays through Thursdays. Harris, along with nine other volunteers, will spend the next semester at Fairview Elementary and Franklin Academy leading the PALS (partners in active learning and support) program at Columbus Municipal School District.
“I was thinking how it would have been nice to have someone there to help me out at school before I got home,” Harris said. “It would be really nice if I could be there for these kids.”
Laurie Davis, a counselor at McKellar Technology Center, is spearheading the mentorship program for high school students who are taking dual enrollment courses.
“They have pretty much taken all the high school classes, a lot of them are taking full-time college classes,” Davis said. “They had some time throughout the day that they weren’t taking classes. I got to thinking, this would be a way to give back to our school and the community.”
The PALS program started Monday afternoon with five high school students volunteering at both Franklin and Fairview.
Fairview Principal Ben Alexander said he used benchmark assessment scores to gauge which students need specialized attention. Each mentor will work with one to two elementary students each day for about 90 minutes — focusing first on class assignments with the hope of building a rapport with the elementary students that transcends academics.
“It’s going well right now,” Alexander said. “It’s easier for kids sometimes, to connect with people they consider their peers. Sometimes they look at us like we are adults. When you are a little bit younger and on their level, there can be a deeper connection there. So what we are hoping is that connection will help those students behaviorally and academically as well and maybe make sure those students reach their full potential.”
Fifth grade student Cameron Mitchell, 11, worked with Harris on a math assignment Monday afternoon.
“It’s nice because he could have been at home doing what he wants to do,” Mitchell said. “But he’s helping us get our grades up and sometimes I do need help with math.”
Alexander said he is excited for his students to have those mentorships. Davis said the elementary school principals are in charge of choosing students and class assignments for the high school mentors.
“They’re mentoring them and helping them academically,” Alexander said. “We will take any help we can get. These (mentors) have a good academic background and to have them come in and help our students is a good resource.”
Though in the early stages, Davis said she hopes to have more students volunteer next year to help all elementary schools within the district.
“It’s kind of a big brother, big sister type thing,” Davis said. “I told them about it and they all volunteered. They were very enthusiastic about it. They are not getting any high school credit for this. I had 10 students who had a whole block of time, that they were able to devote to this. We’ve started small. I do anticipate this program will grow.”
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