CINCINNATI — Studies show that having a mentor at a young age can help motivate students to go to college, increase social and emotional development and improve self-esteem.
Paul Dittman is one of 14 Adopt a Class volunteers from Procter and Gamble.
Adopt a Class is a pre-K through 8th grade mentorship organization that connects businesses and civic groups with students in economically challenged schools.
“A lot of families and a lot of children aren’t fortunate enough to get the mentoring and input from the community and business leaders, so we see this as an opportunity to provide some kind of mentoring and provide perspective to these students,” said Dittman.
During the Adopt a Class session, the 7th grade students at Cincinnati’s Shroder High School participate in a holiday activity that requires active listening skills. One student will describe a picture. And the other student will have to draw the picture based on clues.
“Being able to actively listen and understand what’s being communicated, but also being able to clearly communicate what you want to either impress or change or describe to someone is key as well,” he said.
Seventh-grade student Khendal Love said she really enjoyed the activity with her partner.
Her favorite part was drawing the Christmas tree. She said this activity definitely helped her learn how to communicate better.
“It was fun in general because you got to draw and it was funny when it didn’t turn out the way you wanted it to, but it still looked cool,” said Love.
After the activity Love and her peers were presented with gifts.
Headphones and candy were some of the gifts from the P&G volunteers.
She said she really enjoys the experience Adopt a Class provides.
“I like how we do fun activities and we learn more about new careers that we can do when we’re older and stuff,” she said.
Adopt a Class’s mission is to expose students to different experiences and career opportunities to expand their horizons.
Organizers hope to help create a culture of teamwork for the volunteers and raise awareness around the community’s needs and challenges.
“The kids that we see today are definitely our future,” said Dittman.“The better we can provide those skill sets and mentoring and positive experiences, the more likely we’re going to have great business leaders from all backgrounds in the future.”
For more information on how you can get involved, click here.
