Hays CISD to implement mentoring program

KYLE — High school students in Hays CISD will soon have an opportunity to mentor younger students through a new program in the Career & Technical Education Department that is scheduled to roll out next year.

Partners and Leaders in Service (PALS) will focus on community service and mentorship; high school students will be assigned mentees at elementary and/or middle schools to visit with throughout the year. This program will be similar to those that other school districts have implemented, including Austin ISD.

The district also has a requirement for students to earn 40 hours of community service for graduation, so this program of study will help students find ways to serve the Hays County community.

“Our high school kids will go over to the middle schools and the elementaries. They'll be paired up with a student that needs mentoring — the student will probably be recommended by a counselor — and that way, they have one-on-one time, like an hour a week to spend with that student,” explained CTE Director Suzi Mitchell. “They might be helping them with their math homework or they might be talking about what happened at home last week [and] they just need somebody to talk to. It's kind of a perfect marriage of community service and leadership mentoring all together.”

Courtney Runkle, who serves on the Hays CISD Board of Trustees, participated in PALS at Austin ISD when she was a student. Knowing the kind of impact this type of program can have on kids, she knew that she wanted to advocate for it to be brought to Hays CISD.

Mitchell, and Chief Academic Officer Marivel Sedillo, immediately jumped on board. The idea was presented to the Hays CISD Student Board & Superintendent Student Advisory Panel last fall for feedback and they were all in support of bringing the program to the district.

As a school board trustee, Runkle said that she has had several discussions about how to address mental health in the district. And while they have “wonderful adult mentors” that give their time to mentor kids, she knows that kids can relate to other kids.

“We just know that this is a program that is just something that's really needed in our district and we can fill some of those gaps that need to be filled. For me, I don't want the mentors to be just the student that does all the things like the top athlete or the top of their class,” Runkle explained. “These are students that just have something to give, maybe they have experience [with] trauma, tragedy, just life in general, divorce — you name it. Our kids go through it every single day and they have so much to give. We know that they can give back to those students.”

Runkle is excited to see the bonds and relationships that are going to form through PALS. She said this is going to teach them communication and leadership skills, but also empathy as “there are things outside of just what they see that are going on in their community around them.”

Mitchell echoed Runkle’s point, adding that the younger kids will have a mentor who is there to support them through any challenge they may face.

“For the elementary kids, I think so many kids feel like they're the only ones going through this and they don't realize that there is a whole community of people that have gone through the same thing and are there to support them. They're not alone,” Mitchell said.

Currently, the district is in the process of identifying class sponsors. Mitchell and Runkle agreed that they want to find someone who is going to have a passion for the program, see the vision and long-term plans for it and have a good relationship with the students.

Also, they want someone who is dedicated because when it comes to the community service aspect, there needs to be someone who is willing to take the time on Saturdays to help pick up trash, work at the Hays CISD Clothes Closet, etc.

Hays CISD PALS is expected to begin in the next school year and it will operate at all three comprehensive high schools. Then, elementary and middle schools will be contacted to see which students want to sign up.

If there is a student who will be in high school next year, they need to sign up for one of the following classes according to their grade level — there are no prerequisites to take these classes.

• 9th Grade: Principles of Community Service

• 10th Grade: Child Development

• 11th Grade: Partners & Leaders in Service I

• 12th Grade: Partners & Leaders in Service II

“Our counselors will identify students, that is the idea. Sometimes, it may not be that. You may see a student that just asks for a PAL themselves and it may not be a student that is so easily identified, but just a student that wants a PAL,” Runkle said. “There will be no prerequisites at the high school level, but we will have a curriculum that we follow and there will be lots of training that is involved with that. We want to also prepare our young adults to be able to have tough conversations with our younger students. We need to be able to prepare them for that.”

Overall, the district is excited to bring the PALS program for all students ranging from the elementary level to the high school level.

“I think our goal is just to reach as many students as we can. We want to be a positive influence in their life,” Mitchell said. “I want them to know that they have someone they can talk to and they're not alone.”

For more information on the Hays CISD CTE Department, visit www.hayscisd.net/Page/471.