Member News

Looking for a BIG WAY to help out in the community? The La Porte-Bayshore Chamber is partnering with La Porte ISD to help identify mentors to support students at each of our 7 elementary campuses. For this year we are working to secure 10 mentors for each campus.

H.E.L.P.’s (Helping Empower La Porte Students) is a mentoring program developed by our member Frank Nance and his work with the RISE program in Pearland ISD. We are asking our volunteers to commit to 30 minutes a week (during the school day) for the upcoming fall and spring semesters.

As a mentor you are committing to:

1. Consistent 30 minute meetings, every week that we can be on campuses during your student’s lunch time. You are welcome to bring lunch for the both of you or buy lunch for yourself at the campus. Weekly meetings – and if you can’t make it on your assigned day, communicating with your campus so they can let the student know not to expect you but also share when you have rescheduled your meeting for. We do NOT expect perfect attendance, but we expect you will make every effort to be there 75% of the available time campuses are available.
2. Participate in mentor training sessions 2-3 times per school year
3. Meeting all LPISD and Campus guidelines for campus conduct
4. Creating a safe space for your student to experience warm, supportive encouragement from a caring adult

The H.E.L.P.S. program is designed to help equip you to start and then sustain those relationships. It’s not about you changing a student’s life, but it’s about you being one of the few adults that is voluntarily investing time with them and in them.

Step 1: Complete the volunteer application with LPISD
La Porte Independent School District - Volunteer Application 2022-2023 (tedk12.com)
Apply Now
Create Account or Sign In
Volunteer Application 2022-2023
Complete the Application, select EVERY Elementary Campus “just in case”!

Send an email to frank.nance.dhoc@statefarm.com when you have completed the online forms. Check back with LPISD in 48 hours to make sure it was completed and processed.

Step 2: Complete and return the HELPS Mentor Application
HELPS Mentor Application (.pdf)

Step 3: Attend a Mentor Training Session

Step 4: Get matched to a student. We partner with the Campus Counselors to try and match you with a student that shares similar interests/hobbies where we can to help you have some common ground to build on.

Step 5: Start meeting! Consistency is critical – these students are not used to consistency and do not expect it from most adults in their lives. That’s where we will differentiate ourselves and our program!

Step 6: Participating in a quarterly H.E.L.P.S. Mentor Roundtable to share best practices with other Mentors and get additional training from LPISD campus counselors.

FAQ 

What Is a Mentor?
A mentor is a positive role model who acts as a sounding board, a guide, a confidant, and a friend to another person. Mentoring is about connecting. You don’t have to have all the answers to your mentee’s problems and shouldn’t lecture on all the things he/she should be doing. You simply need to be a CONSISTENT presence - someone your student can count on to show up and, no matter what, provide unconditional support. It is not an easy job, but most things in life that are meaningful and make a true impact are not. One guarantee: As a member of HELPS Mentoring, you will have plenty of support and tools to help you begin and maintain a relationship with the young person with whom you are matched. The primary mission of HELPS is that caring, committed adults in La Porte will step up and accept the greatest commandment of all…to love one another by showing up and being present in the life of a young person. We seek to Empower students - Help kids see more, want more and be more than they ever thought was possible. Your time with them should empower them to advocate for themselves and they should feel your support even when you aren’t together because of the firm foundation you have created.

Program Overview and Mentor Expectations
LPISD HELPS Mentoring is school based mentoring that connects caring, committed adults from across the community with a student in one of our La Porte ISD schools. What is school based mentoring? School based mentoring means that all the mentor/mentee meetings happen on the school campus during the school day (approximately 8-3:30 pm depending on the age of the child). It is not tutoring, it is relationship building via informal activities that the child enjoys, board games, arts and crafts, sports, etc.

Is HELPS only in La Porte ISD schools?
Yes. HELPS was created by La Porte ISD and our mentors are only matched to students enrolled in a La Porte ISD school. There are other school districts with similar programs.

How are students chosen to have a mentor?
Any La Porte ISD staff person can recommend a child for a mentor for a variety of reasons. Parents can also call the school or the district to start the process of getting their child in the program or Students can ask to be a part of HELPS. The children that we target are ones who at this time in their life and for different reasons are struggling socially with friends, don’t really connect with others on the campus (very shy and keep to themselves), put lots of pressure on themselves, or are dealing with a loss or a change in their life. These are just a few of the reasons that a child might be recommended. In all cases, the students would just benefit from having another positive adult who believes in them and is in their corner. We mentor kids from K-5th grade.

What is the time commitment of a HELPS Mentor?
HELPS Mentors commit to meet with their mentee one day a week for 30 minutes. All meetings happen during the school day and on the school campus. You are committing to meet with your student until the end of the school year excluding weekends, evenings, and times when school is closed for holidays and/or testing. If you choose to stay with your mentee for multiple school years, we support that and will work to make it happen as long as mentor, student and parent are still on board.

How do I become a HELPS Mentor?
Mentors must complete 3 things to become a mentor in the H.E.L.P.S. program:
1. Complete a Mentor application
2. Complete the online volunteer background check for LPISD
3. Register for and attend the initial 3 hour training. Links to each of these can be accessed on our website: www.lpisd.org/mentoring. In addition, HELPS mentors must be out of high school and at least 18 years of age. You do not have to be a resident of La Porte, Texas.