Boys & Girls Club Blog

The Boys & Girls Club of Oshkosh is looking for volunteers to mentor local youth through the Great Futures Mentoring Program. The program pairs middle and high school youth who would benefit from additional guidance with an adult mentor. There are currently ten youth, both male and female, who are waiting to be matched with a mentor.

Mentors meet with their mentees at the Club four hours a month participating in fun activities together and helping youth grow academically, develop decision-making and life skills, and create a career plan for after high school. Mentors are asked to commit to meeting with their mentees for at least two years. Youth stay in the program until they graduate from high school.

“People may question themselves saying, ‘Am I qualified, can I really be that person for someone?’ But the fact that they even ponder that thought shows they really are qualified, their head and heart are in the right place, it’s that simple.” Explained Mentor Secelie Panske. “The support is there if you are ever in a tough situation with your mentee. The mentor experience has not only been positive for my mentee, it’s positively changed me as well.”

The Great Futures Mentoring Program has measurable goals that gauge its success. This includes having all participants either maintain or improve their reading and math grades, improve school-day attendance and behavior, graduate on time and have in place post-graduation plans.

In addition to the Boys & Girls Club of Oshkosh, several other local organizations serve as key collaborative partners in the Great Futures Mentoring Program. The Oshkosh Area School Districts refers students who would be a good fit for the program as well as shares participant’s grades with the Club. The Oshkosh Community YMCA hosts family-friendly activities for participants and helps promote the program to their members.

The Boys & Girls Club of Oshkosh would like to thank the following for funding the program: Be Great Graduate Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction Grant, Theda & Tamblin Clark Smith Family Foundation, U.S. Bank Foundation and Prospera Credit Union Fund of the Community Foundation for the Fox Valley Region.

If you are interested in being a volunteer in the Great Futures Mentoring Program, please contact Mentoring Director Lyle Byre at 920-233-1414, ext. 127 or lyleb@bgcosh.org.