Helping Hands Mentor Program

For a young person who is living through a particularly challenging time, a stable adult in their lives can be invaluable. BISD is committed to creating and sustaining meaningful and potentially long-lasting relationships between caring adults and youth with the Helping Hands Mentor Program.

Questions You May Have

Who can be a Mentor?
Any person dedicated enough to spend the time it takes to make a positive difference in the life of a child is eligible.

What is the Mentor's commitment?
Mentors make a one year commitment, though many of the mentors remain with their students for far longer than that. Some of our original mentors are still with the same student even after 5 years. We ask that each mentor spend 30 minutes to an hours a week with their student at school.

What are the benefits?
Mentoring makes a difference in a young person's life. It enhances personal satisfaction, establishes new friendships and increases involvement between yourself and your community schools.
      " . . . mentoring can transform relations across generational and class lines. In other words, mentors not only touch someone's life, they have the potential to touch and change the life of the nations." Jonathan Alder, "Mentoring Works," Kaplan, Newsweek.

How are students selected for this program?
No student is assigned to the program. They must first agree to be in the program and then permission must be received from the parents/guardian. Teachers, school administrators and parents recommend students to be in the program.

How do I sign up?

Step 1: Make a Call
Contact BISD’s Community Service Partners in Education Coordinator, Allison Murray at 512-321-2292. We can mail you the packet of information including the application or you can directly download the information from our website.  

Step 2: Complete the Helping Hands Mentor Profile or Returing Mentor Profile

Return the completed application to BISD Community Services, 906 Farm Street, Bastrop, Texas 78602. Once the Partners in Education Coordinator has reviewed your application and your background check has been approved, you will be contacted to begin the next step. 

Step 3: Complete a Training Session
This is a one hour training session to help guide you in becoming a successful mentor.  You will be given procedures to follow, tips for working with children and young adults and recommended mentor/mentee activities. Through the training, you will begin to improve on your skills of working with children/young adults and assess your own strengths as a mentor.

Step 4: Attend an Orientation
The Campus Coordinator at the campus you chose will be matching your profile with a student mentee. Once a match has been made, you will receive a call to meet your mentee and tour the designated campus.

For more information about the Bastrop ISD Partners in Education Programs, contact  Allison Murray, Partners in Education Coordinator, at (512) 321-2292 or email amurray@bastrop.isd.tenet.edu.