Guest Commentary: Creating role models and mentors
The year 2020 was a monumental time in America and across the world as communities near and far struggled to find a new normal during a global pandemic that turned our day-to-day lives upside down. At the time, I was in seventh grade, and I never would have guessed that an idea to help local students succeed during an uncertain chapter would grow to become a student-run, non-profit organization impacting more than 200 elementary, middle and high school students in Fort Myers.
During the Covid-19 pandemic, remote learning was a major challenge. Aside from missing out on making new friends and socializing in a classroom setting, many students in our community struggled with the technology and Wi-Fi connectivity required to attend school. That’s when my brother, Noah, and I decided we could help younger students by supporting them with their homework or even just by hanging out and being friends during a scary time.
My brother and I quickly realized that we needed more mentors, so I presented our idea to my seventh-grade class on Zoom, and that’s when CRAM, Creating Role Models and Mentors, was born. In the beginning, 19 of my classmates and friends agreed to become mentors and committed their time to support younger students, both mentally and academically, at Fort Myers Middle Academy, a United Way Community Partnership School. In addition to recruiting student mentors at Canterbury School, we invited juniors and seniors at other local high schools to join CRAM with the goal of reaching more students and schools. We even sought out experts, including Dr. Michael J. Karcher, a leading expert in school-based and cross-age peer mentoring who has significantly influenced CRAM’s development.
Today, our team of vetted and trained high school mentors exceeds 75 students that work with more than 200 middle, elementary and high school students.
We’ve teamed up with the United Way Community Partnership School program to identify students who might benefit from a peer role model or mentor. During school hours and in after school programs, mentors visit with mentees face to face and offer academic support, positive reinforcement and friendship.
Since founding CRAM more than four years ago, I have had the honor of watching dozens of students, both mentors and mentees, grow and succeed through this successful peer-mentorship program. One of my first mentees, for example, was struggling in school due to a language barrier. He didn’t have resources at home to help him with his homework and practice his English. I was able to provide him tutoring and mentorship and today, he is fluent in English and doing well in school. I remember what it was like when we first met, and to see the person and student he has become today is really special.
As I prepare to head to college next year, I have high hopes for the future of CRAM. We have an awesome board of directors made up of dedicated students who have done some incredible things over the past four years. From vetting and training our team of mentors to organizing fundraising events, the board and our volunteer students have been all in from day one. Through our fundraising efforts, we have generated more than $13,000 for students, families and classrooms in our area. Most importantly, we have, and we are eager to continue our mission of mentorship and support for students in our community.
For more information on CRAM and how to become a mentor or mentee, visit www.crammentor.org.
Dylan Moon, a Canterbury School senior, serves as Board chair/president of Creating Role Models & Mentors, a student-run non-profit he co-founded.