Give 30 is now restarted! (The links to the registration forms are at the bottom of this page.)

Give 30 is a mentoring program that is designed to provide at risk youth with positive support in their lives. The program is designed for students who have been identified in their school as someone who may be heading in the wrong direction and needs a mentor figure. As a result of Senate Bill 100, Illinois schools are required to adopt new discipline policies as of September 15, 2016 which include interventions. Give 30 is designed to discourage students from becoming involved in incidents that would lead to more severe means of discipline such as suspension or expulsion from school.
The guide lines of Senate Bill 100 do not specifically offer suggestions as to how to curtail student discipline, but rather outlines what schools are not allowed to do under the act. Give 30 will offer the opportunity to schools and students an alternative to traditional discipline. The program will

• encourage suspensions be limited to severe cases
• encourage students to stay in school and be successful
• encourage students to become re-engaged in school
• foster positive relationships with law enforcement and the judicial system
• connect at-risk-youth with community mentors

How will the program work?
The Regional Office of Education are currently soliciting civic leaders to identify/encourage interested individuals to become a Give 30 mentor. The individual will contact the ROE for a criminal background check. This process will not involve a fee. All clean applicants will complete an interest form to be shared with participating school districts. The mentor will be asked to Give 30 minutes a week to meet with the student they will be asked to mentor. A guide will be provided to each mentor as an outline to engage in discussion with the student. Upon the need of a mentor, the individual will be contacted and placed in communication with the respective building principal. The principal will meet with the mentor and decide on an agreeable meeting time for the student and the mentor. Such an arrangement may be made around a typical lunch schedule. The duration of the mentoring experience may be short term or may continue. In either case, monitoring and progress reports on the relationships between will need to be reviewed.

Who may be a mentor?
Any adult 21 years of age or older may apply to participate in the Give 30 program. The participants must have a clean criminal background and be willing to abide by the school policy guidelines set by the respective school district. All Give 30 mentors will need to complete a short inservice to learn about the mentoring program and the outlined expectations. Likewise, the mentors will be asked to agree to a schedule to meet with assigned students. Any adult who has an interest in working with at risk youth is welcome to apply. All applicants will be screened by the Regional Office of Education prior to being referred to specific school districts.

What are mentor expectations?
All Give 30 mentors are expected to give thirty minutes a week to mentor an identified at risk youth. The mentors are to present themselves in a positive way to the student. The key is to foster a positive impression to live a good respectful life. The mentor needs to be a role model figure for the student. Mentors are expected to engage in dialogue with the youth to discuss school performance, issues at school, issues at home, and issues in the community. Mentors may assist with homework, offer to read an article about an event, or share some career experience. Mentors are expected to keep the relationship professional and at no time exchange emails or social media contact information that could lead to suspicious out-of-school activity. Individuals will mentor students of the same gender so greater commonality in discussion may take place.

What are the school expectations?
School administrators will participate in a half-day inservice prior to the beginning of the program provided by the Regional Office of Education. Schools will identify at risk youth who may best benefit from such a mentoring experience. The school district will request mentors from the Regional Office of Education.
The administration will keep a file on each case study inclusive of the student, mentor, meeting dates, and mentor/student reports. Likewise, the administration will have the right to determine whether or not the Give 30 mentor is working to improve the performance of the student. The school will reserve the right to discontinue the mentoring experience for any student at any time with just cause. Annually, a review of the Give 30 Mentor Program will occur with participating districts.

Click HERE for a "downloadable" .pdf application. Please email the application to Tammy Kruse at tlkruse@co.madison.il.us, or fax it to 618.692.7018. The online application form is now back online. Click HERE to apply using the online application form. Thanks for stopping by.

Very important: In either case you will be required to go to the Regional Office of Education (157 N. Main St., Edwardsville, IL  62025 - map) for fingerprinting and background check (at no cost to you.) Please call 618.296.4530 for more information and to make a fingerprinting appointment.

Thanks for your interest in the Give 30 mentoring program!