A2Z mentoring program promotes the 8 C's - Compassion, Caring, Commitment, Consistency, Creativity, Challenge, Communication and Confidence in mentors, supervisors, mentees and their families.
Who We are:
"Aim for A 2 Z" is a mentoring/tutoring 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, operating in
Mercer
County for the past eight years. The program is supported by a group of caring, professional and competent volunteers. The A2Z mentoring program commenced mentoring and tutoring elementary and middle school students scholastically, in year 2004 in the East Windsor/Hightstown areas, started in the
Ewing in January 2007 and started in Lawrenceville in 2010. Today A2Z provides mentoring/tutoring to students from GRADES 1 through 12 in the areas of Math, Science,
Reading and written English at Hightstown/East Windsor Twp, Ewing Twp and Lawrenceville Twp.
A2Z has had a significant and positive impact on the lives of children. An important aspect of the program is the emphasis on improving life skills, improving study skills, enhancing self-esteem and introducing the pleasures of life long learning in students.
Why A2Z Mentoring Program:
Many of A2Z's students come from single-parent, low-income, immigrant or refugee families with a history of welfare dependence. Many of them lack family and community support, opportunities, and resources for consistent and organized study and learning. Some students come from non-English speaking families or their parents work long hours and have little time left over to aid in their children's school work. Many of these children are discounted or discouraged due to their socio-economic status, race, class, gender, ethnicity or geographic location. These children enter school already behind their peers in reading and math readiness, and fail to catch up.
The A2Z Mentoring Program not only helps these disadvantaged students from grades one through twelve, but also enables high school and college students mentors, community adults mentors to develop a community spirit and a giving mind-set, and gain leadership experience. It provides an opportunity for the mentors to work with a diverse group of students from low-income families in a learning environment.
How we help:
A2Z aims to provide one-on-one tutoring/mentoring services to students by giving one and one-half hours per week of mentoring time. Our Mentors stress academic achievement in the core areas of math, reading and writing, but it is not just a second class room. A2Z goes beyond tutoring by providing these students with a mentor relationship. Students who participate in the program gain the skills and self confidence necessary for success. We support new ideas about how to engage children and youth in learning and new ways to bring together community-based systems that promote learning. Our process of mentoring, tutoring and learning, occurs in
Mercer
County, all the time. We help to advance positive outcomes for the youth within the communities we serve.
Mentors involved in the A2Z Mentoring Program are self motivated, self confident, and oriented community members who offer their time and expertise to help students gain confidence and self-esteem, and work for a better education for the youth. A2Z's mentors are responsible, interested, willing and committed to the students. By working together, mentoring creates a strong bond between the mentors and their mentees. A2Z's Mentors expose youth to new ideas and opportunities, allowing them to make better decisions in their present and future lives, therefore creating better citizens and future leaders.
