Academy 4
Among COVID-19’s casualties have been schoolchildren across the region who were being mentored at their campuses by volunteers. With schools shut down since spring break, one nonprofit mentor group, Academy 4 in Fort Worth, has figured out a way to maintain connection between its volunteers and the fourth graders they mentor.
In March, Academy 4’s mentors — both community and high school student volunteers — wrote notes to the 1,100 fourth graders they mentor at 13 elementary schools in Tarrant County and Austin, with the schools distributing them, said John Shearer, the organization’s executive director. And, unable to visit the schools as they normally do en masse on selected, festive Fridays, Academy 4 is picking one Friday per month and going live on Facebook with their popular puppet shows and other content on topics like leadership. Academy 4 sends the video files to the teachers, who can show it during their instruction.
Many of the children Academy 4 mentors have suffered some form of trauma. “That’s really intensified right now,” Shearer said in an interview. “School for a lot of children is kind of a safe place. Our kids are going to need safe places again in their lives.”
Volunteers eagerly responded to the opportunity to re-connect with their students, Shearer said. “It’s been an opportunity for people who are stuck at home right now to find a way to serve.”
Academy 4, like many other nonprofits, had to cancel a major April fundraiser. The organization on Thursday launched a fundraiser called A4 Connects through email and social media to raise money to expand the program into other schools. The goal is to raise at least $100,000, and Academy 4 scheduled the fundraiser to coincide with North Texas Giving Day on May 5.
The content includes video from one Fort Worth principal, at the Leadership Academy at Como Elementary, who wants the program in her school, Shearer said. “We wanted people to hear from a principal who’s really ready for this,” Shearer said. Twelve community mentors who have volunteered in the program all eight of its years are giving video testimonials. And several high school students, formerly mentored in the program and now volunteer mentors, tell their stories in another video.
Academy 4 Mentor Video
Academy 4 came up with its plan quickly, as the COVID-19 story developed and led to school closures, Shearer said. “When we saw spring break was being extended, we saw there was potential here for a major disruption,” Shearer said. “We started making these contingency plans right away.”
Looking ahead, Academy 4 wants to recruit current fourth graders into its Leaders 5 program, where they get to mentor younger children. And the organization wants to figure out a way to get this year’s fourth graders and mentors together again. “Even if it’s one more opportunity to get together next fall,” Shearer said.
How COVID-19 might impact mentorship in the future is not clear, Shearer said. “We’re planning to do this year,” he said. “It might look a little different, I don’t know. These relationships are important, now more than ever. So we’ll find a way.”
