YMI gives students role models

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By Alison Gatz

A local nonprofit, Youth Mentoring Initiative, has been serving the Fishers community, in partnership with Hamilton Southeastern Schools, since 2008.

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Gatz

YMI partners with our schools to come alongside counselors, teachers and parents by providing another caring adult to support and encourage the success of each student.

YMI Mentors are adult volunteers who mentor once a week, for one hour, during the school day. Mentors meet one-on-one with students to provide them with a caring and consistent presence in their lives; become a reliable friend; a role model; and simply someone they can count on. Founded on the knowledge that kids need approximately four to six non-parental adults supporting them through their developmental years, mentoring can have a profound impact on a child’s life.

YMI mentors are a vital resource not only to HSE Schools initiatives to further the social and emotional well-being of their students but also to parents looking for additional support. Each week, approximately 300 mentors visit students in the schools, offering encouragement and being an example of why Fishers and the school district continues to excel in the quest to be a vibrant community.

YMI mentoring is offered in the following nine schools: Fall Creek Intermediate; Fall Creek Junior High; Fishers Junior High; Fishers High School; Hamilton Southeastern Intermediate Junior High; Hamilton Southeastern High School; Riverside Intermediate; Riverside Junior High; and Sand Creek Intermediate.

Mentoring times vary according to the student’s schedule and can be accommodating to the mentor’s work schedule. If you have an hour a week to spend with a student, we’d love for you to consider joining us. Students can be recommended by counselors, teachers and parents by completing a recommendation form on the YMI website.

Learn more about becoming a mentor or financially supporting our work by visiting us online at ymionline.org. YMI is changing the world, one student at a time.

Alison Gatz is the executive director for YMI and can be reached at [email protected] or online at ymionline.org

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