A pair of listening ears, a curious mind and a half-hour a week can make a difference in the life of a Muskogee student, said Leslie Parks, mentor coordinator for Muskogee Public Schools.

And dozens of students are waiting for mentors to do just that, he said.

“They need someone to pay attention to them,” Parks told a group of school patrons interested in mentoring. “Most of these kids don’t have a parent who has an interest in them.”

Parks discussed the value of mentoring at a fall round-up Tuesday at the MPS Board of Education Service and Technology Center. A handful of past, present and potential mentors attended the meeting.

Through the district’s “Power of an Hour” mentoring program, a volunteer spends 30 to 60 minutes a week with a preselected student “mentee” at the student’s school. The mentor acts as a student’s friend, role model, coach or confidant, Parks said.

He said objectives of the relationship include building the student’s self-esteem, helping with behavior, helping the student develop personal responsibility and helping set goals. The students are referred by teachers or school administrators, he said.

Establishing a relationship is a key, he said.

Mentors starting a relationship could get a conversation going by asking some ice-breaking questions such as “What is your favorite time of day — and why?” he said.

“You may have to feed them the answers at first,” he said. “Find out what’s going on in their lives. Teachers don’t have time to talk to the students like you do.”

Ken Herringshaw recalled mentoring a student teachers had said was withdrawn and incommunicative.

“When I asked the first question, he talked for an hour,” he said.

Herringshaw said he mentored for one year about three years ago and wants to get back to being involved.

“I enjoy kids in the fourth and fifth grades,” he said. “The kid I had before didn’t have a father, and I felt I could fill a void in his life.”

Muskogee Public Schools receptionist Juanelda Lee also finds value in mentoring.

“You have to decide to make a commitment, let these kids know you’ll be there for them,” she said.

Parks said he hopes to get and train 100 mentors this year. He’s not sure how many Muskogee Public Schools students need mentors.

Former MPS mentoring coordinator Paula Dean said the district had 55 mentors at the end of the last school year.

Parks said mentors will be trained and go through a background check.



You can help



If you are interested in mentoring a Muskogee Public Schools student, contact MPS Mentor Coordinator Leslie Parks at 687-3700, ext. 1640, or e-mail Leslie-Parks@mpsi20.org.



Reach Cathy Spaulding at 918-684-2928 or Click Here to Send Email