Club launches science-mentoring program

From left: Jill DeWerdt, Program Director at the Boys and Girls Club of the Lower Naugatuck Valley, Robert Ballard, world renowned oceanographer and discoverer of the RMS Titanic, and Jennifer DeLeon, Immersion Director at the club, attend the National Immersion Mentoring Training in Mystic. / Contributed photo

SHELTON - The Boys and Girls Club of the Lower Naugatuck Valley has started the Immersion Mentoring Program, a new science-based mentoring program with 40 mentees and 10 mentors as a part of its partnership with Immersion Learning, a division of the Sea Research Foundation, Inc. 

In January, the Club was announced as a sub-grantee of a $1 million grant awarded to Sea Research by the U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention to establish the Immersion Mentoring Program within other Clubs in 11 states, including Alaska, Arizona, Connecticut, Maine, Maryland, Minnesota, North Dakota, Ohio, Vermont, Virginia, and Washington.

The Immersion Mentoring Program is designed to positively impact the social development and academic achievement of underserved youth ages 9-13. As part of the program, trained coordinators and mentors connect with mentees in real world science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) activities and interactive technologies. 

"We are very excited to be able to run the Immersion program at our Clubhouse.  Pairing the Immersion program with mentoring will really help our organization fulfill our mission and create important relationships for children in community,"  Jill DeWerdt, Program Director, Boys and Girls Club of the Lower Naugatuck Valley, said.

"Although Immersion is a successful program here at the club, the mentoring aspect will enhance not only the program, but the children's knowledge and desire  to learn more about the unexplored oceans.The club members have shown great enthusiasm thus far and I am excited to introduce this new mentoring component to them," said Jennifer DeLeon, Immersion Director, Boys and Girls Club of the Lower Naugatuck Valley. 

Club staff members attended a three-day, national implementation training in Mystic with all sub-grantees Jan. 17-20. At the training, attendees learned the expected project outcomes, which include: 1) increased desire and likelihood to continue participation in the mentoring program; 2) strengthened positive relationships with adult mentors; 3) improvement on targeted social, academic, and/or behavioral goals; 4) decreased engagement in juvenile delinquency; 5) decreased school absence; 6) greater interest in academics, particularly in STEM areas; and 7) greater awareness of and interest in STEM-related careers. Additionally, attendees learned from subject matter experts in mentoring and science, including Dr. Robert Ballard, best known for his discovery of the RMS Titanic, walked through the program’s curriculum and activities, received grant administration instruction and learned about key sustainability tools such as mentor recruitment.