Timberland Charter Academy Partners with Grand Valley State University for Male Mentorship Program

 
GRAND RAPIDS, Mich., Nov. 14, 2019 — A new partnership is striving to meet not only the academic needs of 10 students at Timberland Charter Academy but also their social and emotional needs, through a male mentorship program.
 
Timberland and Grand Valley State University (GVSU) launched the partnership for the 2019-20 school year in which male students at GVSU meet with 10 seventh- and- eighth-grade male students at Timberland every two weeks.
 
The program came to fruition because Barry Hall, manager of charter through college programs, was looking for ways to get more involved with Timberland, being that Muskegon is his hometown. Hall connected with Barbara Reeb, middle school dean at Timberland, and found the need for positive male role models for students in the school community. “We want to encourage our students to strive for academic success and provide a chance to connect with successful role models,” said Reeb.
 
Through this program, students are exposed to GVSU sporting events and campus visits. When students meet with their mentor, they discuss topics including the difference between reputation and character, understanding choices and consequences, self-control, future goals, and various other items related to building confidence and striving to be the best version of themselves.
 
“The mentoring program was an opportunity to provide support and build confidence in the youth at Timberland Charter Academy through positive examples with mentors!” said Hall.
 
Timberland students work with their college mentor role models to keep on track academically and behaviorally to ensure middle school success. However, the program isn’t just focused on the here-and-now but also on setting students up for success in the future. “The goal of the mentorship program is to help prepare students academically, personally, mentally, and socially for high school and beyond,” said Hall.
 
Mentors prove to have various benefits in a young persons life including increased belief in their abilities to succeed in school and less anxiety related to peer pressure, according to Psychology Today.
 
Reeb is working alongside Hall to keep this outstanding opportunity all year long, and for years to come.
 
View photos of the group.
About Timberland Charter Academy:
Timberland Charter Academy, managed by National Heritage Academies, is a free, public charter school serving students in kindergarten through eighth-grade in the Muskegon area. For more information, visit timberlandcharteracademy.org