By Ann Craig-Cinnamon
In 2008, Darren Heil, a Fishers’ youth pastor, decided that he could do more good for the youth in our community by developing a non-profit mentoring program in Hamilton Southeastern Schools. And so he founded Youth Mentoring Initiative to help teachers with the challenges they faced in the classroom.
“I felt like my time would have been better served if I helped those who had students more often than I did.” Heil said. “I was able to see students come to my church program maybe 1 1/2 to 2 hours a week while teachers had students 7-8 hours a day not including extra-curricular activities. Their school in so many ways was their life.”
Over the past six years, YMI has provided mentoring for 250 students with programs that operate during the day in school and with mentors that focus on personal development of the students who are chosen for the program by the schools.
The need, however, is great. According to YMI statistics 5% of students are identified as needing one-on-one support for various reasons ranging from failing classes, delay in graduation, being disconnected, receiving disciplinary referrals or going through a life crisis.
A Gallup pole of 8722 HSE school students grades 7 through 12 found that 37% felt stuck or lack hope, 35% are disengaged, and 30% have a poor sense of well-being, says Heil. “These are Fishers students. Roughly a third of our students report needing some kind of help,” he adds.
YMI provides caring adults from the community to connect with students, be a listening ear and someone to help them through the rough times. But they need more mentors to meet their goal.
“Last semester we had 50 mentors end the school year with their mentees. We hope to add 40 or more each semester through our 2020 Initiative which is to provide mentor support to 600 students; grades 5-15 by 2020,” says Heil.
The 2020 Initiative was kicked off at a breakfast Sept. 4 that was attended by several hundred people including mayor-elect Scott Fadness, State Senator Jim Merritt, Fishers Police Chief George Kehl and Fishers Fire Chief Steve Orusa who has been a YMI mentor for the past three years.
Heil says there are certain characteristics that a mentor should have. “Anyone who can: 1. Listen 2. Be present not just in time but in presence. 3. Someone who is teachable – realizing they still can learn even from someone younger than themselves, 4. Someone who does not judge but accepts a student as they are, and 5. Optimistic – Someone who can see that a student is just one step away from being successful by having a mentor,” says Heil.
YMI is hold an informational meeting Oct.1 in the lower training room at Fishers Fire Station 91. For more information go to www.ymionline.org.
