North Putnam working toward starting new mentoring program

BAINBRIDGE--Most people have at least one person in life who had influence on them and had a hand in guiding who they would become. North Putnam School Corporation is trying to do that for the youth of the community by starting a mentoring program for the four schools in the corporation.

North Putnam Schools Superintendent Dan Noel has enlisted the help of education veteran Chuck Tilton to help bring this program into reality.

"Our goal is to have a mentor for everyone of the kids at the school," Noel stated, "there are people out there in the community that can really help."

One of the cornerstones of this project is Tilton. He has worked in some form of the education industry for the past 50 years. With titles under his belt of coach, communicating expert and mentor, he believes his key to success is being able to listen. This is one skill he hopes to impart onto those that take up the mantle of mentor.

"I started mentoring back in 1963 and didn't even know it," Tilton shared in a recent interview with the Banner Graphic, "I didn't save them all, but I got a few."

Tilton and his wife Gayla moved to Putnam County eight years ago and shortly started coaching youth football where he dusted off his skills as a mentor. A year ago the "new" superintendent, Noel, was pointed out to him at a football game, neither introduced themselves at the time. A year later they are laughing at that instance as they discuss the mentoring program they are building.

The mentoring program is in its infancy stage, with getting word out to the community and trying to bring people into it. The program would consist of individuals volunteering one hour of their lunchtime to meet with a student and just talk and listen to them.

Noel explained that this project would be a way of adding to students' lives and being a non-judgmental person that they can talk to.

"This (program) is not in any way a criticism to any of our teachers or parents," Noel stated. "This is another avenue to get these kids to open up."

Noel and Tilton are looking to start the mentoring program up before the end of the school year and to give training to the volunteers. Tilton will be handling some of the training aspects; one of his key focuses is listening.

"Listening is the most important aspect," Tilton said, "There are not many who can, and I have probably encountered about six in my life."

All volunteers will go through a background check and training on different aspects of the mentoring process.

To kick start the program North Putnam School Corporation will be sending a letter out to the community and having information and applications available via its website. Noel hopes to have continuous training throughout the summer for volunteers and lead up to a big campaign before school starts next year.