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Durham Launches Mentoring Program: City, County Workers Get Paid Time Off to Lend Hand to Middle School Students

Posted on: Wednesday, 17 May 2006, 06:07 CDT

By Nikole Hannah-Jones, The News & Observer, Raleigh, N.C.

May 17--DURHAM -- If Durham residents want young people to stay out of trouble and get good grades, then they have to do their part, county and city officials said Tuesday, and they are asking their employees to take the lead.

Mayor Bill Bell and Ellen Reckhow, chairwoman of the Durham County Board of Commissioners, announced at a news conference Tuesday a partnership with Durham Public Schools that would give city and county employees up to four hours a month of paid time off to mentor middle school students.

Through the partnership, employees would volunteer for Durham's award-winning Encore! after-school program. About 1,300 middle school students take field trips, learn arts and crafts, and get homework help and tutorials Monday through Thursday in the program.

"It is the responsibility of all of us to help [children] succeed," Reckhow said.

Both the county and the city already have policies that allow employees time to volunteer in schools, but both are mainly for people with children. This new policy is geared toward getting other employees into the classroom.

The help is particularly needed for the tough middle school years, officials said.

Gail Heath, chairwoman of the Durham school board, said that students involved in Encore! have found more success in school.

"We have seen notably higher performance in reading and math for the participants," Heath said. "I cannot think of a better way for the city and county employees to volunteer their time. What an extraordinary and wonderful opportunity for both the students and the volunteers."

Employees can begin volunteering in the Encore! program this fall.

Bell and Reckhow said they hope that private employers will follow their lead and also set up programs for their workers to tutor or mentor a child.

"The county and city are blessed with a large and talented work force," Reckhow said. "Government cannot do this alone."

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Copyright (c) 2006, The News & Observer, Raleigh, N.C.

Distributed by Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News.

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Source: The News & Observer

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