Welcome to the inaugural year of our attakid! Program!
Mission
A Christ-centered mentoring program of the Ozarks, nurturing the whole child - body, mind, and soul.
Vision
Thousands of children of the Ozarks are growing into solid Christian adults who positively contribute to their communities, churches, and families.
Program Overview
At AttaKid!, we are dedicated to empowering and supporting children from diverse backgrounds to reach their peak, God-given potential through our mentorship program. Our mentees come from a variety of backgrounds and may face unique challenges, but they all share a common desire for guidance, support, and positive role models in their lives.
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Our mentees are children and adolescents ranging from 5th-8th grades
They come from diverse socio-economic backgrounds, including low-income families, single-parent households, and underserved communities.
Some of our mentees may have experienced adversity, trauma, or challenges such as academic struggles, family instability, or social isolation.
Despite their circumstances, our mentees are resilient, ambitious, and eager to learn and grow with the support of a caring mentor.
**Note: Mentoring is a tool for our community’s youth, families, and partnering organizations. Should the youth become in need of services that fall outside of the scope of mentoring, we will refer them appropriately. Services that fall outside the scope of mentoring include, but are not limited to, the following: professional counseling, juvenile division, legal counsel, medical professionals, etc. Our program assigns each match to a coach who is there to support the family, mentor, and help navigate situations that may arise.
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Schools & Agencies: Our program partners with schools and agencies within Howell County. Check in with us to see if your student attends a school within our network.
Interest: Both the parent/legal guardian and the youth need to have a desire to be involved in the program. The match will not last long if the parent and/or youth are not on board.
Compliance: Willingness to comply with our program guidelines.
Relationships: The youth has the desire and ability to develop relationships.
What We Look For:
Need & Benefit
Determining which kids NEED and will BENEFIT most from having a mentor is an important question we consider. While it is true that almost all children and youth would benefit by having a mentor, some kids need and benefit more than others. We determine the NEED through several processes; one of which is examining the various personal and environmental factors, along with resources, that are currently present in the youth’s life.
The NEED
Risk Factors & Resources We Consider
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Home – Alcoholism, illegal drug use, physical or sexual abuse, unpredictable behavioral patterns, extreme neglect, having a young mother, either no contact or negative contact with father or mother, parent or sibling that has been incarcerated
Economic – No working parents, family has low income, family lives in public housing, family has trouble paying bills.
Community – High levels of poverty, poorly functioning school with high truancy and drop-out rates, drug trade in immediate community, few jobs available.
Peers – Strong pressure to join, peers who have been incarcerated, absence of positive peer relationships, lack of a positive adult role model(s).
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As a child – hyperactivity and attention problems, persistent lying, difficult temperament
As a youth – began smoking or drinking before age 12, struggled with depression/anxiety, persistent lying, committed acts of violence, lack of empathy for others, persistent problems with authority, sexually active before age 13
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Financial – stable/unstable, parent have a consistent job, is the family on welfare
Family – safe, stable/unstable, functional/dysfunctional, extended family involved and healthy
Church and community opportunities – Is the youth involved in any church or community programs?
Educational – How are they doing in school? Are they attending school regularly? Have any of their parents or siblings dropped out of school? Is their environment conducive for academic success? Are they involved in extracurricular activities?
What do our mentees need?
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Our mentees will be matched with mentors who are in network with our local church partnership program. Connecting youth to caring, Christ-centered mentors where they can grow in community amongst members of the Christian faith, is a foundational component to our program.
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Many of our mentees benefit from a supportive, caring relationship with a mentor who listens, validates their experiences, and provides encouragement and empathy.
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Some of our mentees may require academic support and guidance to improve their school performance, set educational goals, and explore future opportunities.
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Our mentees look up to their mentors as positive role models who inspire them to dream big, work hard, and overcome obstacles in pursuit of their goals.
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We aim to equip our mentees with essential life skills, such as communication, problem-solving, setting financial goals, decision-making, and resilience, to navigate the challenges of adolescence and beyond.
Determining The BENEFIT
How do we know which kids would benefit most by having a mentor? Research has shown that some kids benefit more than others by having a mentor. Before making the match, our program takes a closer look at where the youth is at on the spectrum of risk from low to high, in order to better determine if they are a good fit for our program.
LOW RISK: Lower risk youth may already have natural mentors through connections at school, church, sports, or other activities. They benefit by having a mentor who helps them achieve goals, learn new skills, explore career opportunities and grow spiritually.
MODERATE RISK: Youth who are vulnerable but have not succumbed to relatively severe behavioral or psychological problems often derive the greatest benefits from having a mentor.
HIGH RISK: Juvenile offenders, teen parents, and youth with serious mental health issues need “wraparound” services that work in cooperation with a mentoring program. These may include substance abuse treatment, anger management, alternative school options, professional counseling services, as well as other resources that apply to their needs.
**At this time, AttaKid! specifically only works with youth who are low-to-moderate risk.**
JOIN ATTAKID!
Become a Mentor
A mentor with AttaKid! is a caring, responsible, Christian adult volunteer who serves as a trusted friend, support, and guide to a vulnerable youth in their community for at least one year. A mentor builds a relationship based on trust and acceptance with their protégé, which provides a foundation for positive mental, spiritual, emotional, and physical growth.
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Commit to spending one year in a mentoring relationship with a protégé.
Mentors must be willing to commit to volunteer for at a minimum of:
1 year (mentor/mentee matches will continuously be evaluated to ensure they are mutually beneficial and supportive).
At least 2x a month in-person (OZS will have a variety of planned events, as well as options for the youth and mentors to do together in alignment with the curriculum)
Communicate with your Mentoring Coach monthly and willingly receive and implement advice.
Honor all commitments made to your protégé.
Be a positive role model by demonstrating a faith-filled Christian life.
Establish appropriate boundaries with your protégé and his/her family as described in our Mentor Orientation.
Seek to help your protégé find his/her God-given potential through encouragement and support.
Build a relationship with your protégé based on trust and respect.
Abide by all of the Mentor Responsibilities and Guidelines listed in the Mentor Orientation.
Participate in any additional training sessions or mentor support groups provided by Ozarks Summit.
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Be at least 22 years of age, living in the vicinity of the greater West Plains community for the last 6 months.
Be actively involved in your church for a minimum of one year.
Be living in a vital relationship with Christ as demonstrated by:
Seeking God through prayer, reading the Scripture and fellowship in a local church
Pursuing holiness and removing any obstacle to communion with Christ
Seeking to honor Christ in work, relationships, sexuality, and emotions.
Be able and willing to guide a child into a personal relationship with the Lord, Jesus Christ.
Have a desire to build a genuine and caring relationship with a child.
Have the physical and emotional health to provide a consistent, caring relationship.
Have a valid driver’s license and access to automobile and auto insurance (proof
of insurance will be provided/shown on a yearly basis).
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Have been cited for driving under the Influence (DUI) in the last 5 years.
Have been involved in a crime against a vulnerable person (child, disabled adult) and/or
Have a history of child abuse/neglect. Those with any other past criminal record should speak with the mentoring team.
Cannot complete their mentoring commitment. Studies show that if a mentor quits before their commitment is up, it does harm to the protégé.
Are not in alignment with Ozarks Summit’s Statements of Faith.
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Term of Agreement: The term of this Agreement shall be defined as 1 year.
Contingent Offer to Renew: At the expiration of the initial one-year term, Ozarks Summit may, at its sole discretion, offer to renew this Agreement for an additional term. The offer to renew shall be contingent upon a successful background check, satisfactory performance by the Mentor, as determined by the Ozarks Summit, and the continued need for the Mentor’s services.
Notice of Renewal: If Ozarks Summit decides to offer a renewal of this Agreement, it shall provide written notice to the Mentor no later than 90 days prior to the expiration of the initial term. The terms and conditions of any renewal shall be subject to mutual agreement between Ozarks Summit and the Mentor.
Interested in Applying?
Below is an overview of our application process. You can click on the live links to view the relevant forms.
Send this reference link to the following individuals:
Current Employer (if retired or unemployed, a former supervisor or co-worker)
Screening & Interview Process
Pass our background check process.
Agree to comply with the code of conduct, confidentiality statement, & statements of faith.
Attend a new mentor training/orientation session.
Become matched with a protégé.
Youth and
Family Mentoring
We are excited that you and your child are interested in mentoring!
There are three steps to becoming a mentee in our program:
Parent and child must fill out and sign the Youth/Family Mentorship application and the Youth Interest Survey.
Establish a meeting with the Ozarks Summit team so we can learn how to best match your child with a mentor.
Complete and sign the acknowledgement agreement in the application, which gives us permission to involve your child in our program, and if necessary, coordinate our work with schools and agencies you may think will be helpful in order to best serve your child.
Participating Schools
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West Plains Zizzers
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Fairview Flyers
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His Place Christian Academy
FAQs
What style of mentoring do we provide?
AttaKid! mentoring program is a group approach to where kids will go through it together in a small group. We find it’s much easier to build relationships and community with one another if you’re not going at it alone.
What age of kids do we work with?
Our program works with 5th-8th Grade Boys & Girls. Our aim is to expand this age range and services in the future.
How many kids can go through attakid!?
Due to limited resources, our program works with a maximum of 10 students at a time. Give us a call to learn more about our current enrollment.
What is your adult-to-kid ratio?
Ratio: 2:2. *There will be two adults for every two kids. The matches will also be paired in accordance to the same gender.
how do kids get referred to our program?
We have a referral process in which churches, schools, local civic organizations, and families can recommend youth to our program. Click here to access our referral form.
how old must you be to be a mentor?
Our mentors must be at least 22 years of age.