This is the third and final commentary about how a local mentoring program is enriching the lives of Long Beach youth. Darren Rockett inspired the men and women of the Long Beach Fire Department to become mentors, and now 23 seventh and eighth graders have benefited from that life-changing experience that bears his name— the Rockett Academy.
If you are not a firefighter, and chances are that you are not one, there is still much you can do. A donation to the Rockett Academy can help expand this valuable work, for instance.
You can also become a mentor through a number of local programs directly benefiting youth in Long Beach. Magic Johnson said, “All kids need is a little help, a little hope and someone who believes in them.” The secret sauce for mentoring is just spending time with someone younger, adding encouragement when needed.
If I can be a mentor, you can also.
I should add that mentors get just as much— no, probably much more— out of being a mentor than the youth. Try being a mentor. You’ll see what I mean.
Operation Jump Start (operationjumpstart.org) asked me to become a mentor, and I haven’t regretted a moment since agreeing.
OJS is a unique program in Long Beach that identifies students in grades 7—11 with college potential, but who present factors that, statistically speaking, indicate they are unlikely to go to college.
Most students are ethnic minorities, live in low-income areas, come from single-parent homes or would be the first in their family to attend college. Remarkably, about 98 percent of OJS students go on to college.
Another program, Power4Youth (power4youth.org), focuses on struggling middle school and high school students, offering them one-on-one academic mentoring.
In addition to life skills and other valuable tools they give to students, Power4Youth also matches kids with mentors in the community who can be a positive role model.
If you’re a college student, Long Beach Better Learning for All Students Today (lbblast.org) might be the program for you. LB BLAST offers academic enrichment and mentoring directly to 18 school sites. Mentoring and tutoring are given by screened college students strategically paired with students who need the most help.
The impact of mentoring is felt not only by the person being mentored, but by the community. It was true 150 years ago when Fredrick Douglass said, “It is easier to build strong children than to repair broken men.” No community can afford more broken men.
If you are not sure where to start, just visit CityProsecutorDougHaubert.com/mentor or call (562) 570-5625.
My office partners with Rockett Academy, OJS, Power4Youth and LB BLAST, and we’ll help you find the right opportunity to help.
The call for mentors has been put out. Will you answer?
