Release date: May 15, 2009

When elementary and middle school students talk about their friends, one assumes they refer to people similar to themselves in height and age. But in the David Douglas School District, 38 students are now apt to include a very special adult in their list of good friends: their Immigrant and Refugee Community Organization (IRCO) mentor.

In the summer of 2008, IRCO began a new partnership with the David Douglas School District to mentor at-risk students. The schools select the students and IRCO matches them with a volunteer mentor based on shared interests.

Research shows that outcomes from formal mentoring programs with students include increased standardized testing results, higher graduation rates, less truancy and criminal activitym reduced alcohol use, less substance abuse and fewer teen pregnancies. IRCO mentors make a commitment to meet with their mentee once a week, for a minimum of one year.

Experience, after nearly a year of operating the program, shows that mentoring also increases the fun quotient. Vlad (Vladislav) Chifeac, an eleven-year-old fifth grader at Mill Park Elementary School and his mentor, Roger Beeston, made and launched a small rocket and built a model airplane.

Vlad and his family arrived here from Russia two years ago. Roger is also an immigrant who came from England for a job in electronic engineering. Vlad desires to become a doctor so the two share an interest in science and both like to build things with their hands.

Paz Davis is also a fifth grader at Mill Park and has created a close relationship with his mentor, Jason O'Leary. O'Leary, who works in human resources at a program for homeless teens, has written two unpublished novels. Paz has been creating comic books since kindergarten about a character called Mike, so the two share a creative nature. In recent month the two have worked on turning Paz' comic book into a movie, using both animation (stick figures they drew, cut out and mounted on popsicle sticks) and actors (themselves and the mentor program coordinator).

At Ron Russell Middle School, Salim Turanov and his mentor, Seng Saecho, share the experience of growing up in a bicultural, bilingual family. Salim's family came from Russia and Seng's immigrated from Thailand. They spend their time together playing soccer, basketball, making collages and playing with Seng's dog, Hank.

When the pair started meeting Salim did not like to read. However, after a few trips to the library together and careful book selection, Salim now not only enjoys reading but got an A in it last quarter in school.

Seng sums up his mentor experience in words most mentors can relate to, when he says that being a mentor gives him what his work does not - a deeper sense of connection. "This is genuine," he says, "it's authentic. I know we're building something special."

To learn more about becoming a mentor, call Juliya or Corey at IRCO at 503 234-1541.