- The United Mentoring Program is a program that provides mentoring for high school youth.
- Currently, the program is based at Sexton High School in Lansing.
- For more information on the program, click here.
(The following is a transcription of the full broadcast story)
"These are our kids, and we're not letting them go without a fight," said Coordinator and Founder Tracy Edmond.
It's all hands on deck for mentors with the United Mentoring Program that is now helping students in the Lansing School District.
"Currently, we are Sexton High School full time," said Program Director Karry Smith.
The program has more than 20 mentors, and the group meets every Thursday.
"Our primary goal is to provide some group mentoring that basically focuses on life skills, career development, academics, and community service," Smith said.
The program partnered with the district as a part of the district's plan to help those graduating high school.
"We care deeply about having our kids graduate high school. We know that it's not always the easiest thing in the world. Kids need support," said Superintendent Ben Shuldiner.
To add to that support, the district also created a graduation specialist.
"People's whose job in each of the high schools to really bring kids up and make sure they graduate," Shuldiner said.
In the 2021-22 school year, the district says the graduation rate was 68.2%.
The school is waiting for the state to give them last year's total but expects the number to be higher than 70%.
"Our goal is to hit an 85% high school graduation rate by 2025, and we know the only way we are going to do that is by bringing in all of our community support, all of the people that care about our kids, and really help move our kids forward," Shuldiner said.
UMP will mentor the students across the graduation stage and beyond.
But for now, they are just happy to be making a difference in kids' lives.
"We're committed to doing life with these kids," Edmond said.
UMP plans to expand to every high school at some point.
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