Challenge Magazine Spring 06

"DS/USA News" "Wounded Warrior Disabled Sports Project" "Names in the News" "Sports & Recreation Articles" "News Briefs Articles" "Another Successful Run - Ski Spectacular News" "Paralympians Bring Home Seven Gold Medals" "Stoked About Skateboarding" "Come Sail Away" "Marketplace" "Chapter News Articles & Chapter Feature Article"

A Pilot Program for Mentoring Kids

Kirk M. Bauer Executive Director DS/USA

It’s only a pilot program right now, but the new mentoring program that will recruit adults with disabilities to assist kids with disabilities could be a huge benefit not only for the young people being served and the mentors helping them, but also for improved chapter involvement by the mentors.

For this program, DS/USA has teamed with Partners for Youth with Disabilities (PYD), an organization committed to empowering young people with disabilities through mentoring programs that build skills for independent living and provide opportunities for community interaction.

The first phase of the program will have our staff working with several DS/USA chapters to teach potential mentors how they can help the children. The second phase will pair the trained mentors with the kids and adolescents to help them meet their full potential for personal development and healthy living.

The mentoring program is geared toward building confidence and self-esteem by encouraging involvement in sports and recreation. We believe another end result will be that it will foster social interaction between people of all abilities. Role models will interact with youth by sharing their own stories to inspire the young people and help them face their futures.

Along with the excellent training, inspiration, and coaching that the mentors can give the youth, we hope the program will provide a springboard for these mentors to get more intimately involved with their local chapters.

Currently, DS/USA is working with nine chapters in seven states for the pilot year of the program. Each chapter will send representatives to a two-day training session presented by PYD. The training sessions will provide chapters with the tools they will need to implement and sustain a successful formal mentoring program. DS/USA will continue to host training sessions throughout the rest of the year to accommodate those who were unable to be a part of this initial session.

In addition to chapter representatives, the mentor training session will also host eight Wounded Warriors and two Paralympians, all of whom will learn how to mentor and utilize the skills they acquire during this session at chapter events where they will interact with chapter youth.

I hope that all of you who will be involved in this pilot program will give it your best shot to make it succeed. Everyone taking part, plus future generations of young people, will be the winners.

Sincerely,

Kirk Bauer
Executive Director