HR1166 98TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HR1166 LRB098 21560 MST 60292 r

HOUSE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, CU One to One Mentoring was founded by Barbara Linder in 1994 at Urbana Middle School and Bottenfield Elementary School; and

WHEREAS, CU One to One Mentoring has grown from 38 mentor pairs in 1994 to 670 pairs in 2014; and

WHEREAS, CU One to One Mentoring meets all elements of a quality mentoring program including: 1) Screening procedures - fingerprint and DCFS check, interview, application, and reference check; 2) Commitment requirement - minimum of one year, one hour a week during the school year; 3) Training - 2 hours of initial training, plus orientation; 4) Matching - arrangement and documentation of matches; 5) Support - Mentor/mentee check-ins and evaluations, ongoing training for mentors; and 6) Closure - Formal policy and exit interview; and

WHEREAS, CU One to One Mentoring is a cross-district program with both Champaign and Urbana public schools that is a part of the strategic plan for both districts and is fully funded by both districts; and

WHEREAS, CU One to One Mentoring uses community-based mentors who generally begin with a mentee who is in 3rd to 7th grade and is expected to follow the child through high school graduation; scholarships are awarded to all high school graduates who have been with a mentor for at least 3 years; 156 mentees have graduated over the last 10 years with an average of 7.3 years with their mentor; and

WHEREAS, CU One to One Mentoring brings local community members and businesses into the schools, with many businesses providing mentors each year; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE NINETY-EIGHTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we recognize the positive work being done by CU One to One Mentoring and designate November 13, 2014 as "CU One to One Mentoring Day" in the State of Illinois; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be presented to CU One to One Mentoring as an expression of our esteem and respect.