Tanya Cameron remembers her time as a teacher at Kingfisher Public Schools and the positive impact those from the outside could have on students.

In particular, it was a group of ladies from the Federated Church called Friends Who Care.

“They came into our classrooms and for certain students who needed that pat on the back or maybe didn’t get support at home, students who school wasn’t a top priority,” Cameron said, “we would eventually have [the ladies] work with them one-on-one and build up their self esteem, give them confidence and let them know that they have value.”

Cameron - through the Kingfi sher Educational Foundation is spearheading the effort to bring back a similar program to KPS.

A member of the KEF board, Cameron addressed the KPS Board of Education last Monday during its regular August meeting.

She was joined by KEF President David Blair.

The subject of their talk was SWARM (Students With a Role Model), a program the KEF is ready to roll out in conjunction with the school district. They just need the role models from the community to step up. People, Cameron said, like Nancy Hasenfratz, who was a part of the Federated Church group several years ago.

“She always made homemade popcorn and gave it to all the kids,” Cameron recalled. “They just lived for the day she would come.

“It was amazing.” Now in the loan operations department at NBC Oklahoma in Kingfisher, Cameron sees firsthand the need for mentorship in the schools, especially the lower grades.

Cameron has volunteered an hour a week in Laurie Hagar’s pre-kindergarten class for the last year.

“Some of those kids act out because they don’t get attention at home,” Cameron said. “Sometime I will go grab one of them and we’ll walk down the hall and we’ll talk.”

She’ll just ask them how they’re doing.

They’ll talk about decision making.

They’ll just talk about anything…which is part of mentoring.

“Mentorship is huge thing if you’ve researched it,” Cameron said.

And she has researched it.

She provided some of that to the board, including:

• Youth with a mentor are 46% less likely to start using illegal drugs and 27% less likely to start drinking than other people their age;

• If they have a mentor, students facing an opportunity gap are 81% more likely to participate regularly in sports or other extracurricular activities;

• Mentoring has shown to reduce the symptoms of depression;

• Mentoring promotes positive attitudes toward other people in society. It helps reduce antisocial behavior. Also, mentored youth tend to have better relationships with their parents and communicate better with them;

• Youth who had a mentor are 130% more likely to hold leadership positions; and

• Mentorship has shown to inspire youth to want to help others as 90% of youth who had a mentor are interested in becoming a mentor themselves.

With this information in hand, Cameron spoke with Gilmour Principal Makylah Tollefson, Heritage Principal Lisa Meier and KUE Principal Erin Michael.

“They were all about this,” Cameron told the board as the three principals, also at the meeting, nodded in unison.

Lara Kostka, a counselor at KUE, developed a presentation to bring to Superintendent David Glover.

It didn’t take long to sell him on the idea.

He saw a similar program have positive effects at Fairview.

Although the program, for now, is aimed at students up through sixth grade, Glover echoed Cameron in saying he could envision it going beyond that.

“I can see this being in junior high,” Glover said. “We do have kids very much so that need a role model.

“I applaud the foundation and this lady right here (Cameron) for taking the lead on it and I know I’m going to be a big supporter of it.”

Now Cameron, Blair, the KEF and KPS turn to the community - the potential role models.

They seek anyone interested, but are hopeful that males will step up to the task.

“We really would like to see some men in this program,” Cameron said. “A lot of our kids seem to come from divorced families and dads don’t seem to be in the picture.”

The KEF wants to ensure its done properly, so those who are interested will take part in mandatory onboard training and other steps as well.

[ Editor’s Note: Mandatory onboard training is 3:30 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 6, at Kingfisher Upper Elementary.] “They will go through the same confidentiality rules the teachers go through, they’ll go through a background check,” Cameron said. “All that so we know we’re going to get someone who will be great with the kids.”

And, she said, it’s all about the kids, especially those who are “at risk.”

Traits of at-risk students include

• Truancy;

• Emotional/behavioral problems;

• Poor grades;

• Lack of interest in school;

• Disengagement from school environment.

Teachers and other school personnel will refer students for the program.

Volunteers are asked to give one hour per week for the rest of the school year “to make a difference in someone’s life who really needs it,” Cameron said.

Whether it’s to give a pat on the back, an ear for listening, provide some advice.

Or just “be present” for someone who needs it.

“We’re trying to get those kids, build up their confi dence and just let them know there’s more people out there who care,” Cameron said. “Maybe they’re not getting that nurturing at home, but Kingfisher is a caring community and I just feel like there’s individuals who would be willing to step up and help with this program.”

[ Ed. note: For more information on the SWARM program, including an online application form, scan the QR code below or visit https://bit.ly/Kingfisher-SWARM]