Hamilton Heights High School is the first in Indiana to offer the Teach One to Lead One® (T1L1) community mentoring program. The program, currently being offered in six states and two countries, is being piloted at Heights from August through May.
The mentoring program is a unique collaboration between the school and local community mentors who lead students in an interactive curriculum that teaches 10 principles that are essential to life. Caring, responsible adults from the community are equipped with training, materials and support so they can bring life-changing character and leadership skills to students through one-on-one interaction one hour a week.
The T1L1 mentoring program has been credited with significantly raising academic performance, school attendance and changing the attitudes of the students to the positive. Most importantly, the program offers hope and helps lead students toward a path of purpose and potential.
Hamilton Heights High School Assistant Principal Whitney Gray is spearheading the program, which is focusing on a group of freshman and sophomores this year.
“We have been so grateful for this program and the mentors who have dedicated time every week to pouring into our students,” said Gray. “The students are really opening up and have started to trust the mentors, which is really neat to see. We are looking forward to seeing where this program can take our students.”
“We have seen some great changes in our room,” said Dee Roper, an Instructional Assistant at Hamilton Heights High School. “The students are opening up more and stepping out of their comfort zone. It is awesome to see students beginning to ownership of their actions and using what they have learned so far in class and it is carrying on in their day. I love this program!”
“The idea of mentors from our community teaching Universal Principles in the school setting is a great way to reinforce the positive characteristics that support our students on the path for success,” added Elisa Garcia, Heights Speech Educator Teacher.
For more information on Teach One to Lead One, browse to T1L1.org.