Above: In a past spring, SYFS worked with Southborough Access Media to create a promotional video for their Project Friend program. Check it out.
Southborough Youth and Family Services is preparing for the spring season of Project Friend.
The program pairs younger and older “Friends” to help build positive meaningful relationships.* In weekly meetings, friends talk and enjoy games, crafts or other activities.
Organizers are encouraging applicants for mentors and for being mentored. Matches are based on expressed interests, personality, and gender. All pairs meet at the same scheduled time and are supervised and coordinated by SYFS staff. Training is provided for the “older friend” in each pairing.
They are seeking volunteers in grades 7-12 who want to be positive role models. (The program allows students to fulfill community service hours.)
They are also seeking families with K- 5th graders who would benefit from some special attention, a mentor, and positive role model.
Anyone interested should register soon, since the next session kicks off at the end of the month.
Here is a more detailed description of the program and groupings:
(click to enlarge schedule)
Group A [K-1st grade Younger Friends with 7th- 8th grade Older Friends]: Tuesday afternoons, Feb 27 – May 29
This group utilizes recreational activities to facilitate relationship building between the pairs. “Older friends” will learn social and conversation skills that will help them to build a relationship with a younger child and benefit them in relationships with their peers. The “younger friends” will benefit from the special undivided attention of their “older friend”.
Group B [2nd-5th grade Younger Friends with 9th- 12th grade Older Friends] Wednesday evenings, Feb 28 – May 30
This group offers “older friends” more training that focuses working with kids, being a mentor for the “younger friends,” and building up youth assets. The “younger friend” benefits from the relationship with a positive role model and the opportunity to interact with their same age peers with that support present.
You can find more details by clicking on the schedule above right.
To sign up or learn more, contact Meaghan (McCarthy) Eiland at 508-481-5676 x 3 or mmccarthy@southboroughma.com.
To register, print the registration form or use SYFS’ online application. Use the registration codes from the Project Friend schedule in the story above.
You can also use the same form to sign kids up for SYFS’ Stress Management Classes. For details on that, see the dedicated post. To read SYFS’ full spring program guide, click here.
*(SYFS dropped the “Big” and “Little” Friends labels used in past years.)
