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The One on One Program

Mission

To foster mentoring relationships between caring volunteers and middle school students through structured academic and personal development activities.

Goals

To facilitate the development of consistent one-on-one relationships between middle school students and volunteer mentors
To encourage and motivate each student to reach his/her full potential
To improve student academic achievement
To promote positive youth development through asset-based, values-driven programming

History

In August of 1988 the Greater Milwaukee Committee constructed a vision for a program that would bring together urban students and mentors from civic-minded corporations that would host weekly after-school mentoring sessions. The primary focus of the program is improving the students' academic work, though the One on One mentoring relationship undoubtedly provides social and personal benefits for the student as well. The program has steadily grown through the years, providing nurturing adult relationships to hundreds of teens throughout Milwaukee.

The HOSTS Program (Help One Student To Succeed)

Most of the One on One mentoring sites implement the HOSTS program. HOSTS focuses on improving students' reading and writing skills by utilizing individualized materials and activities based on targeted learning goals. Mentors provide feedback on performance to the students and the HOSTS instructor. The HOSTS program has received the nation's most prestigious honors for instructional leadership. One on One, only the second community-based program to use HOSTS, received a superior rating for its first year of implementation, making One on One eligible for a National Exemplary Award.

What Makes a Successful One on One Program?

A successful mentoring program requires the commitment of an entire community.

Students

Possess desire to improve academic performance
Commit to attending weekly after-school mentoring sessions
Communicate openly and honestly with mentor

Mentors

Commit to attending weekly mentoring sessions for duration of the school year
Complete screening process and attend mentor training session
Communicate with staff about students' progress toward goals
Possess genuine desire to make a difference in the life of a student and be open to working with young people from various backgrounds

Educators

Collaborate with the YMCA staff in establishment and coordination of the program, including tracking students' improvement

Parents

Encourage student participation in the One on One program to improve academic performance

Donors

Provide the financial resources to make the program possible

Click here to find out how to get involved.