A partnership among Lander University’s College of Education and community leaders throughout the GLEAMNS area recently led to a “mentorship morning” for 29 students at Brewer Middle School.
Over the past three years, Lander students in the Call Me MiSTER program have worked with Greenwood District 50 teachers to tutor youth in reading and math, lead STEAM activities and work with students on behavior management.
“A national program, Call Me MiSTER aims to diversify the teacher workforce and embraces mentorship in schools,” said Dr. Rachel Schiera, coordinator of the Call Me MiSTER (Mentors Instructing Students Toward Effective Role Models) program at Lander’s College of Education.
This year, a mentorship program, called Against the Grain, was developed for middle school males by Luke Slice, a Lander alumnus and a Brewer teacher; Quincy Agnew, a teacher at Woodfields Elementary School; Roderick Houston, an academic advisor at Lander; and Schiera.
“Against the Grain is dedicated to building a community of strong, responsible leaders among male middle schoolers,” Schiera said. “Call Me MiSTER works with these students weekly, building confidence, positivity, community and relational abilities.”
The group decided to expand the work being done. Community members, led by Frank Grand, a Lander adjunct professor, offered their time to work one-on-one with the members of Against the Grain. The men who attended not only gave feedback to the students on their newfound abilities, but also began to forge a connection with the youth.
"Through Against the Grain, we have not just been teaching skills -- we are shaping the leaders who will make a lasting impact on their school and community,” Slice said. “Call Me MiSTER and the gentlemen from the community have been invaluable in making that happen."
The program also has made a significant impression on Lander’s Call Me MiSTER students. “Something that impressed me during these interviews was how much the students in the MiSTERs’ weekly mentorship activities learned over the time we worked with them,” said Parker Kauffman, of Summerville, a sophomore majoring in special education and a first-year MiSTER at Lander. “They were like sponges and absorbed everything we taught them."
Schiera said the initial mentorship morning at Brewer will lead to other activities for students. “Call Me MiSTER, Against the Grain, and this group of community leaders are collaborating to plan a series of mentorship events for the spring.”