You have undoubtedly heard it stated that students won't care to learn until they know someone cares about them. In many ways, this saying exemplifies the importance of mentors in students' lives. Anjeannette Barker, Coordinator of Cobb's Mentoring Matters program, joins the podcast today to shed light on how the District is being proactive and meeting the need for local mentoring.

Cobb Mentoring Matters is a school-based mentoring program matching students ages 10 to 18 with volunteers from all over the county. Among its many benefits, mentoring has been proven to reduce school absences, improve parental and peer relationships, improve student academic performance, and increase college interest and participation.

Challenges faced by families—such as overloaded schedules and single-parent households—can make it challenging to provide the necessary support for their students. Mentoring Matters aims to bridge this gap by bringing other adults into students' lives. Ms. Barker explains the relationship and the role of mentoring in family stabilization and the program's impact on emotional well-being, academic success, and career goals.

She describes her role as a "mentoring matchmaker" and outlines the application process, training, and importance of spreading the word. Safety measures such as background checks and supervision during in-person sessions are also emphasized, as well as the impact of community leaders and partnerships with organizations like the police and fire departments.

Click here to learn much more about the Cobb Mentoring Matters program.