Dakota County Nonprofit Builds Bonds Through Mentoring

Every Tuesday, Eagan resident Cheryl Spangler spends 30 minutes reading, completing puzzles and playing games with 6-year-old Nyeishiea, a first-grader at in Eagan.

Spangler is an Eagan resident, pharmacist and mentor with Kids 'n Kinship. Nyeishiea is an energetic student in need of some extra attention. Their weekly meetings may be short, but School District 196 social worker Meg Bell believes they have a big impact.

"It takes a village to raise a child, and when you can welcome in one more village elder, it always in the long run helps," said Bell, who helped connect Spangler and Nyeishiea earlier this year.

The pair is one of more than 90 mentoring matches coordinated by Kids 'n Kinship, a local nonprofit organization that operates in a handful of Dakota County communities. The group matches children ages 5-16, who are primarily from single parent families, with volunteer mentors.

Local students benefit in a variety of ways from the mentoring partnership, Bell and Kids 'n Kinship Program Coordinator Rita Younger said. Many of the students paired through the organization's school-based mentoring program are struggling academically, need work on their social skills or are faced with other challenges, Bell said.

"Some students just really thrive with a little extra attention, and when someone is able to come and give that undivided attention, even if it’s only for a 30 or 45 minutes, that is 45 minutes of growth and praise," Bell said.

Kids 'n Kinship works with teachers, social workers and other nonprofits to help identify children who could benefit from having a mentor, Younger said. Before pairing the child, the organization also meets with the student and any family to learn more about the student's needs.

Individuals who volunteer to be mentors go through their own rigorous screening process that includes a background check and at-home interviews, Younger said. Mentors are asked to make at least a one-year commitment to mentoring, and meet regularly with their match.

Because many mentors form trusted relationships with the child and the family, they often serve as a support net or early identification system if a problem arises with the student or family, Bell said. First and foremost, however, they are asked to be a caring friend for the child, Younger said.

Spangler saw mentoring as a way to give back to the community.

"I’ve always upheld learning, and I think it’s important for the schools to have good volunteers," Spangler said. "I think there are students who do better when they have someone for one-on-one learning."

Kids 'n Kinship has a wait-list of roughly 50 students looking for mentors. If you're interested in mentoring, visit the Kids 'n Kinship website for more information. The organization is also holding an informational meeting for volunteers from 5:30 to 6:15 p.m. on Tuesday, March 27 at .

Editor's Note: Kids 'n Kinship privacy policies prevent the organization from releasing the last name of students involved in the mentoring program.

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