Issue link: https://publications.tfs.ca/i/1511583
Creating Bonds and Academic Improvement, Peer to Peer Once a week, Kasra Y. is excited to do his homework – or rather, to meet with his mentor. It's a lot more engaging to dive into math and science when you have a friendly face by your side. "What I like about my mentor is that he understands why I struggle with certain concepts, because he learned them only a few years before me," says the Level I student. That's the idea behind the Peer Mentor program. An integral part of the support system developed and implemented by The Learning Forum, it lets students benefit from the recent experiences of others who have taken the same subjects, sometimes with the same teachers, and often having faced the same challenges. Under the guidance of Mrs. Shari McCarter, a learning specialist, the program draws in around 100 students each year (and just as many mentors) looking to reinforce their learning or organizational skills. "This program creates a dynamic that is different than that with an adult. [Students] feel free in this kind of interaction, where trust and friendship can grow between them," she says of the program's results. NOT JUST MATH AND SCIENCE Like many students, Michelle Z. chooses to study science and math with her mentor, and she attributes her progress to her mentor's support. The program, however, offers the full range of subjects taught at TFS, including music. Crystal Z., a Level V student and mentor since is program creates a dynamic that is different than that with an adult. [Students] feel free in this kind of interaction, where trust and friendship can grow between them," MUCH MORE THAN HOMEWORK Crystal agrees that the program takes on a significant social role and provides a perfect opportunity for senior students to forge connections with younger students. She believes that the value is in older peers sharing their experiences at TFS to promote the educational development of its younger students. So much so that the peer relationship can even extend well beyond a simple offer of help. Karim F., also in Level V and a mentor for his third year, talks about his relationship with a mentee student that grew through their shared passion for art: "He started showing me his drawings to get my opinion. I was really touched by the trust that he showed," he says. Likewise, Michelle, now in Grade 7, said she was very happy to learn that her Grade 6 mentor had been assigned to her again this year. The bond between them was so strong, she prepared a surprise for her mentor's birthday. From listening to participants in the program, we know that, above all, it's caring that our mentors pass on the most. she was in Level III, also offers support to young flutists, as she plays the flute herself in the TFS orchestra. "Having peers who play the same instrument is a big help. Without my own mentor, I would never have been able to play the flute so well, and now I am passing on all that I've gained to the new generation," she explains. ENTRE NOUS 34 By Ronan Le Guern