The Friendship Circle Mini Grant Provided by WHAF Conducted by: Jami Heffley and Aaron Smith

The Friendship Circle A student-to-student peer-mentoring program designed to teach leadership and social skills to both male and female students at Edgewood and Dickson Elementary Schools. Open to all students Open to all grade levels

The Mentors Boys and Girls in 5 th & 6 th grade Nominated by teachers based on: Leadership skills Positive school behaviors Academic Success Participated in a weekly mentor meeting to build leadership skills

Group Members Parents and/or school staff recommended students in need extra support based on the the following risk factors: social skills, discipline, attendance, and behavior data These students participated in at least 12 weeks of group

The Budget Money was used to purchase materials to use in the small groups. Games Books Puzzles

Weekly Groups Under the supervision of either Mr. Smith or Mrs. Heffley, a student mentor worked with a small group of students The goal was for the younger students to imitate appropriate behavior learned from the mentors The mentor created a relationship with the members in their group

Teamwork and Cooperation

Stories and Discussions

Leadership

Social Skills

Learning a proper handshake

The Goal To decrease negative behaviors and increase positive behaviors for all students involved. Create a lasting relationship between group members and Mentors Students will learn leadership and social skills necessary to be successful at school and as responsible citizens in the community. All students will learn valuable communication skills along with the importance of commitment and empathy.

Did you like being a mentor? “I liked being a mentor very much. I think I was picked because I have self- control. Also, because I am very polite.” –6 th grade boy “Yes. I was picked because I have self- control. I learned how to act in a bad situation.”

What did you learn as a mentor? “ I learned that you must always behave and be good or you might not set a good example for the little ones. I think group was successful because it had an impact on the kids in my group.” “I learned that it’s fun to make a big difference in young children’s lives.”

What did you learn in group? “Controlling my temper” “social skills”-4 th grade “being nice” – 1 st grade “no bad words or mean”-Kindergarten “to be nice to people.”-4 th grade “how to control your feelings”

What was your favorite activity in group? Puzzles Guess the emotion game “When we learned about manners” The bubble activity Passing the thumb ball “Helping each other with personal problems”

Do you think group was successful? “Yes, I think group was successful because our members learned from their mistakes and really listened to what is a better way to do things.” “Yes, I do think group was successful because I think it’s helped a lot of kids improve their behavior.”

Student Participation Edgewood 15 Mentors 41 Group Members Dickson 10 Mentors 32 Group Members Total Students Involved in the program: 98 Students