MOULTRIE — In early May, the Colquitt County Educational Foundation held an end-of-year party honoring mentors, mentees, and parents/guardians. The event was held at Cox Elementary with food provided by Joe Kem’s Catering. Students and guests joined CCEF board members, Principal Kristi Gonzales, and Assistant Principal O’Tessa Pelham for the celebration.
Literacy mentors were able to meet the parents and guardians of the students they mentor, creating a special close to mentoring sessions for the 2023-2024 academic year, the Foundation said in a press release. CEEF currently provides 17 mentors to Cox, Stringfellow, and Funston Elementary, with the most mentors at Cox. Mentoring will resume again in September.
“We’re thrilled to watch this program grow and develop year after year,” says literacy mentor coordinator Dale Rickett. “And making time to come together to celebrate milestones and encourage the students is an important part of the program’s success. With school being out for summer, we like to remind guardians and caregivers of the importance of reading every day to help prevent summer learning loss.”
Now in its third year, CCEF’s early literacy mentoring program’s purpose is to provide support to students in kindergarten through fifth grade focusing on relationship-building and literacy skills such as letter/letter sound recognition, sight word recognition, fluency, vocabulary acquisition, and comprehension. Volunteer mentors are trained in effective mentorship, child safety practices and procedures, and read-aloud strategies. They also spend time practicing mentoring skills through facilitator-led activities that reflect possible real-life scenarios.
CCEF has trained more than 40 individuals as mentors and will be hosting another free training session on Thursday, June 20, from 8:30 am to noon at the Moultrie-Colquitt County Chamber of Commerce.
To register for the next training session or learn more about the Foundation, contact Rickett at dale.rickett@brightercolquitt.org or (229) 402-4071 or go to the Colquitt County Educational Foundation website at www.brightercolquitt.org/volunteer.