President Obama Recognizes The Power of Mentoring

Earlier this week, President Obama issued a proclamation deeming January as National Mentoring Month. This year marks the 10th anniversary of National Mentoring Month and according to Obama, the support and encouragement mentors provide for today’s youth is in demand now more than ever.

“Across our nation, mentors steer our youth through challenging times and support their journey into adulthood. During National Mentoring Month, we honor these important individuals who unlock the potential and nurture the talent of our country, and we encourage more Americans to reach out and mentor young people in community,” he stated.

The theme of the 2011 Mentor Month Campaign is “Help Them Get There. Become a Mentor.” The campaign’s primary focus is viewing mentoring as a strategy for improving academic achievement. As part of the campaign a National Mentoring Summit will be held on January 25th at the Library of Congress in Washington, D.C. The Summit’s purpose is to shine a light on how mentoring helps keep kids in school and out of trouble.

Locally, the Midlands Mentoring Partnership has many events and seminars planned for National Mentoring Month. Visit MMPOMAHA for more details.
*For more information about becoming a mentor with The Partnership For Our Kids, visit:VOLUNTEER.

Holiday Hearts Warm Winter Weather Blues

The winter weather months have officially hit the Midwest and thanks to the holiday spirit of some volunteer elves, many Partnership students will be able to brave the cold temperatures without fear of frost bite.

Volunteer goal buddies from OPPD gave out more than cheer this month, providing homemade fleece scarves and goodie bags for all the students in their Belvedere classrooms. “The students were thrilled,” said Program Coordinator, Kris Morgan. “One boy expressed how excited his mom would be to see his new scarf,” she added.

Partnership volunteers from FirstComp also contributed to the giving spirit by doing a corporate-wide drive for winter apparel. More than 430 hats, gloves and scarves were collected and distributed to the students of Kellom Elementary. Earlier this year, FirstComp volunteers also organized a school clean-up day, donating plants and mulch and volunteers to landscape and beautify Kellom’s grounds.

Friday December 17th, volunteers from First National Merchants Association will run “Operation Elf”, a drive to collect toys and gifts for the students and families of Saratoga Elementary. If you wish to contribute to the cause, you may drop off donations at the school this Friday. Thanks to all those who are dedicated to aiding the students and families of the Partnership that are in need this season!

If you wish to make a donation directly to The Partnership, you can do so through our website, www.thepartnershipforourkids.org or by calling 402-930-3000.

Welcome Ramey and Cassie!

The Partnership For Our Kids welcomes Ramey McNamara and Cassie Scheidies as the newest program specialists for the Partnership’s mentoring program.

Ramey McNamara will be working with the 6th and 7th grade students at Belvedere Academy, Miller Park Elementary and McMillan Middle School. She says she is most excited to be a part of her students’ lives from elementary school through their high school graduation. Cassie agrees, and adds that she is eager to see her students setting goals and working toward success. Cassie will be working primarily with middle school students at McMillan, Beveridge and Monroe Middle School.

When the ladies are not working, they are both active volunteers in the community. Cassie spends time working with her church and Ramey volunteers with Douglas County as a court appointed special advocate. In addition to volunteering, Ramey likes attending sporting events, movies and playing bingo. Cassie enjoys playing poker, hiking and taking walks with her dogs.
To find out more about Ramey and Cassie, visit the Partnership website's Team Members page

The Big Event Three-peat: Proudly Sharing the Spotlight!

The results are in!

For the third year in a row, the Partnership’s vinNEBRASKA Wine Event was honored as Metro Magazine’s Best Food and Wine Event for 2010! The Partnership happily shares this award with Lutheran Family Services, whose special event, “Wicker and Wine, 2009”, tied for first place. The award announcements were made Tuesday night at Metro Magazine’s “Big Event”, held at Henry Doorly Zoo. This is the fourth annual presentation of “The Big Event Awards Celebration” and Metro Magazine’s twentieth year of existence.

In addition to receiving this award, All About Omaha was also nominated as a finalist in the category of Best Event Under 500 in Attendance for the 2010 Torchlight Ball, honoring the Partnership’s Winners Circle program. A special thanks to all who voted and to those who continue to support The Partnership For Our Kids in all of our ventures!

Partnership Volunteer In The News

It is no secret that The Partnership For Our Kids has the best volunteers in Omaha, but it is always exciting to see when these amazing individuals are recognized for their many wonderful contributions to the community.

Last week, Bob Herrera, Winners Circle captain for Jackson Elementary, was honored as “Latino Partner of the Year” by the Heartland Latino Leadership Conference. Herrera has been assisting with organizing the conference since 2000. As an information services manager for Mutual of Omaha, his participation with the event has helped to track its evolution. Today the conference draws more than 500 participants, provides scholarships and offers an opportunity for Latino merchants to show their wares.

It’s not surprising that Herrera says his favorite part of being involved with the planning and implementation of the conference is witnessing the excitement of the students that attend. “The students come and get inspired; they leave more motivated,” he said.

The Partnership For Our Kids wishes to extend a special thanks to Captain Herrera for his commitment to the Winners Circle program and for his outstanding service to the entire Omaha community!

A Note of Thanks

The Partnership For Our Kids is extremely thankful for our volunteers. Their commitment to the students enrolled in our programs is simply amazing. What is perhaps even more astounding is that these devoted volunteers take the time to express how much they love doing what they do. Below is one of the many notes of appreciation submitted by our volunteers:

I want to thank you for the opportunity of being a "Goal Buddy" at Belvedere! This is such a tremendous program and a priceless opportunity to be involved in the lives of the youth of Omaha.

When I left Belvedere yesterday, I spent a long time reflecting and being thankful. As a former teacher, especially as a former BELVEDERE teacher, my heart is touched by the commitment and hope that is exhibited by the Winners Circle program and the goal buddies. There is no greater gift than love and I saw this yesterday on the faces of the goal buddies, the staff, and especially on the sweet faces of the students.

I want to commend all of you on your work and dedication. Thank you, again, for allowing me to partner with you in making a difference in the lives of our Omaha youth!

Suzi Yokley-Busby-UNO, BBF Engagement and Attendance Initiative
Belvedere Goal Buddy

Being A Bookworm Pays Off!

Thanks to the Omaha Public Library’s Summer Reading Program, 337 Winners Circle students spent their summers getting lost in exciting adventures, solving mysteries and flying away to fantasy-lands; all without even leaving the city. In addition to providing students with a great way to stay entertained, reading programs like the one sponsored by the Omaha Public Library are also helping to battle summer learning-loss, often referred to as the “summer slide.”

It is estimated that school summer breaks will cause the average student to lose up to one month of instruction, with disadvantaged students being disproportionately affected (Cooper, 1996). Researchers also conclude that two-thirds of the 9th grade reading achievement gap can be explained by unequal access to summer learning opportunities during the elementary school years, with nearly one-third of the gap present when children begin school (Alexander, Entwistle & Olsen, 2007).

Winners Circle students that participated in the Omaha Public Library reading program this summer, were rewarded for their efforts by having their name printed on the “Summer Reading Honor Roll” plaque and each student also received a brand new book to read. Summer readers were also recognized for their efforts at all first-quarter Winners Circle celebrations this month.