Colby Cares About Kids: Forging Lasting Bonds with Local Children in a Pandemic
The pandemic has forever changed the nature of how we interact, and the effects of that transformation are no less apparent this semester.
While classes are in-person once more and the campus is livelier than ever, this atmosphere only hides the ongoing pandemic, which despite our hopes, we have yet to fully shake.
Although students returned this fall to an almost fully vaccinated campus, the local Waterville community remains more vulnerable than ever with the Delta variant striking in full force while the much-anticipated COVID-19 vaccine rollout for individuals under 12 awaits a late fall approval.
Until then, children across the country, especially in Maine, are left to wait and return to an uncertain semester mired in anxiety. Even with Maine’s comparatively low COIVD-19 burden, children in the state increasingly represent greater shares of new cases and ICU patients.
Further complicating the return to school for children this fall are the missed connections with their peers. Following an exhausting year and a half of school closures and remote learning, the resulting social disruption is especially apparent.
This is where Colby Cares About Kids (CCAK) aspires to help the most — and come back in a bigger way than in previous years.
Founded in 2001, Colby Cares About Kids is a program that pairs Colby students (mentors) one-on-one with students grades K-8 (mentees) in the greater Waterville area.
According to the official site, the organization’s mission is to “provide the local youth with an additional role model and friend who can be a consistent part of their school experience.”
COVID-19 temporarily halted the program’s regular operations last year and continues to represent a major obstacle for the organization to navigate as it returns this year.
Avery Rosensweig `23 is no stranger to the slew of challenges CCAK faces this semester as it hopes to re-establish its community presenc.
A CCAK member since her first year, Rosensweig expressed the challenges she and the organization face as it reflects on last year and the year ahead in an interview with The Colby Echo.
“I was limited, like other students in our organization, to letter writing when interacting with our mentees. It just wasn’t the same,” Rosensweig said, “So I’m thrilled to have the opportunity to see my mentee in person.”
“Fortunately, my school in Clinton put COVID-19 guidelines in place that allow me to engage with my peers in person, mostly in their recess period where we have a chance to be outside,” she said.
The Office of Civic Engagement and community partners, typically from local elementary and middle schools, facilitate communication between site coordinators and mentors within CCAK. The partnership organizes recruiting and training new mentors and matches them with mentees.
The individual site coordinators are social workers and guidance counselors who collaborate with 13 local schools.
They refer mentees to the program and serve as the primary contact person for mentors at the school. Site coordinators work closely with mentors and are able to answer specific questions regarding both the mentees and the school. In doing so, they help troubleshoot difficulties that arise throughout the semesters and serve as the main liaison between the schools and Colby mentors.
Rosenweig emphasized the importance of this partnership throughout her time in the organization.
“The most challenging aspect of working with the kids is attempting to handle the different circumstances they grow up in, but CCAK supports us in navigating the situations where we’re unable to relate personally as much to our mentees,” Rosensweig added.
Most mentors join the program during their first or second year and continue with their mentee until graduation.
Mentors are usually expected to visit their mentees at least one hour per week during the school year at Colby and commit to spending a minimum of three semesters in the program.
Mentors meet with their mentees at school and visit in both academic and non-academic contexts. The program emphasizes that a strong mentor is a stable, consistent, and patient role model to their mentee.
Rosensweig reflected on how the program’s commitment expectations enabled her to learn a great deal about herself in the process of connecting with kids in the program.
“It’s a great way to break up the stress of school and have the chance to connect with kids who come from vastly different backgrounds and have fun in the process” Rosensweig reflected.
Every fall, CCAK has up to 100 Colby students apply to become mentors. After a preliminary application, an online safety training, and an in-person interview, new mentors attend a series of training before they are matched at a school with a mentee.
Once they have completed the necessary steps to apply and have been paired with a local K-8 student, new mentors set up a schedule with their site coordinator and begin to visit their mentee weekly.
While there is a three-semester minimum requirement, many mentors often are involved for the entire four years of their Colby experience. However, the pandemic has complicated mentor involvement.
“COVID [-19] really prevented me from having a typical CCAK experience as I was sent home the second half of my freshman year and spent my sophomore year away from my mentee,” Rosensweig said. She hopes she can make the most of her remaining time in the program.
As CCAK attempts to define its role going forward in the pandemic and the ever-tantalizing post-pandemic world, Rosensweig reflects her aspirations as the organization resumes its operations.
“My goals are to continue to forge lasting relationships through the program as I challenge myself to learn more about kids after COVID-19 has disrupted so much,” she said.
CCAK hopes to fill the void its Spring 2020 departure left and won’t let the the ongoing challenges of a pandemic deter it.
~ Aaron Mills `24
