Kids Helping Kids: Stanley Hupfeld Positive Directions Mentoring Program

Casady Cyclones joined the Positive Directions mentoring program at Stanley Hupfeld Academy @ Western Village.  Cyclone "buddies" take turns missing an out to lunch and Activities to guide a student from Stanley Hupfeld Academy on Wednesdays.  

The first mentoring session was a get to know mentors and mentees.  The second session was a work on academics with our Cyclone buddies.  Mentees were eagerly waiting for their "Cyclone buddies" with lunch served.  After mentoring sessions, the Casady buddies reflect on the experience.  Christian O. provided the reflective question of the second guidance session, 

How can we make more of an impact on the lives of our mentees?

"I think that one way I can make more of an impact on my mentee is to become a friend as well as a person of guidance  I want Jamarion to be comfortable asking me questions or needing help with things that are happening in his life as well as his school work."

"I can make more of an impact by..learning about the student and the needs they have."

"We could tell the students advice that we use to improve academically and socially so that they can gain self-confidence."

INTEGRIS Health began the Positive Directions Mentoring Program in 1992 as a business/school partnership that encourages volunteers to become mentors at targeted Oklahoma City elementary schools. The objectives of the program are to build self-esteem, establish positive relationships, help children overcome negative behaviors, and to improve the student’s classroom participation.

The time commitment is one hour per week, during the school day. Mentors can be from all areas of our community – business people, college students, retirees, stay-at-home moms, high school students in service programs like Casady and Heritage Hall.

More than 400 mentors are involved providing more than 6,600 volunteer hours. One mentor reports, "So many times I felt good knowing I was making a difference in a student's life. But what I didn't expect was the impact my student made on my life. Mentoring is such a positive experience that I can't imagine NOT doing it. All it takes is a little time."

Casady Service Learning provides transportation on a Casady vehicle, with a Casady driver for the Casady buddies.  The Casady vehicle leaves from the chapel parking lot at 12:35 and returns by 1:35 for Cyclones to be back to class on time.  

Stanley Hupfeld provides lunch and an onsite site supervisor, Mrs. Kathy Lowder, klowder@cox.net to maximize, balanced mentor time with their mentees.

100 students still need mentors at Stanley Hupfeld Academy at Western Village.  Interested teens and adults, please contact Mrs. Carmen Clay, Casady's Director of Service Learning, clayc@casady.org, cell (405)-520-1325 or Tobi Campbell, Director Stanley Hupfeld Academy at Western Village & Positive Directions Mentoring, Tobi.Campbell@integrisok.com, Office (405) 717-9831, Cell (405) 550-3762, Fax (405) 951-8808.  Mrs. Ruthie Rayner, the principal at Stanley Hupfeld can be contacted at Ruthie.rayner@wacademy.com.