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 “My mentee is learning reading and I’ve learned responsibility….” ~Fall Survey 2006~
Teen Trendsetters™ Reading Mentors is an award-winning program that recruits and trains high school students to mentor third graders in reading. This innovative program was developed by the Volunteer Florida Foundation in partnership with Florida Trend’s Next magazine. More than 60% of the school districts across the state have actively involved Teen Trendsetters™ Reading Mentors Program.
Each individual program is a partnership between the lead Trendsetter and other teens from their high schools, an identified elementary school, and the support of a high school advisor. Teens are asked to commit to one hour, each week and are matched with elementary school students. The high school mentors understand the importance of providing intentional, consistent instruction throughout the entire school year. Teen Trendsetters has a remarkable volunteer retention rate of over 90%.
With more than 2300 Teen Trendsetter™ Reading Mentors statewide, teens have been highly effective in recruiting fellow students to the program. Recruited teens are trained to work with a specialized 40-minute curriculum developed by the Volunteer Florida Foundation in cooperation with Scholastic, called Brain Storm. The curriculum consists of three topic areas, each with a 10-session, skill-based student magazine, a comprehensive tutor guide and books to become part of the elementary student’s home library. Training and curriculum is provided by Volunteer Florida Foundation, and ensures Teen Trendsetters know what to do and when to do it, so their efforts help mentees improve their literacy skills.
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