• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content

MarionMade

People, Places, Products, Programs

Visit Us On FacebookVisit Us On TwitterVisit Us On YoutubeCheck Our FeedVisit Us On Instagram
We Are Generous!We Are Presidential!We Are Having Fun!
  • Get Involved
  • About
  • Events
    • MarionMade! 5k Sign Up
  • People
  • Places
  • Products
  • Programs
  • Links
  • Contact

Marion Mentors 21

By MarionMade! on January 9, 2019

The Marion Mentors 21 program is a collaboration of the Marion Family YMCA, Marion City Schools, Ridgedale and Elgin Local Schools, Boys and Girls Club, United Way of Marion County, and members of Marion’s faith-based community.  The program is managed by Erin Slater, the YMCA’s director of mentoring.

Erin Slater

According to Slater, the purpose of Marion Mentors 21 is to support the development of one-to-one relationships between a volunteer adult role model and a student. Volunteer mentors work closely with a school-based site coordinator to build a caring, supportive relationship with students.

“Mentoring matches are encouraged to support the development of a trusting, mutually satisfying relationship as the primary goal of their time spent together, and not for tutoring,” she said. “Mentors do not replace parents, they supplement the work of parents, teachers, counselors, and other social services and educational professionals to help the young person develop self- esteem and life skills necessary to become a happy and productive member of our community.”

Marion Mentors 21 hosted a luncheon for their mentor and student participants at George Washington Elementary.

The Marion Mentors 21 program, which began in 2015, is active in all eight buildings of the Marion City Schools. In 2018, two additional school districts were added, Ridgedale and Elgin. The program includes students in kindergarten through grade 12 who are recommended for the program by a teacher, counselor, school staff member, or a parent or guardian.

“What is unique about a mentoring relationship is the support and encouragement it provides, which can help a young person develop skills—academic,  social, personal, and leadership—to  foster success in the future,” she said, noting that the Marion Mentors 21 program is an effective way to improve students’ self-esteem and expand their vision of opportunities.

“Mentoring has significant positive effects on a student’s education, daily life, and future,” said program coordinator Erin Slater. “Our goal is to support long term relationships that start early in the students learning process and continue through graduation.”

Slater describes mentors as “any individual who has a strong desire to help students and who displays a personal commitment to be involved in a young person’s life, to respect individuals, to listen and accept different points of view, to empathize with another person’s struggles, and to see solutions and opportunities, as well as barriers.”

Mentoring sessions are held weekly at a site-facilitated location for 30-60 minutes, depending on location. The sessions are meant to be a fun, safe place for the student and mentor to play games, work on goals, and get to know each other.

“We have three school districts and the Boys and Girls Club as mentoring sites and we currently have 69 mentors,” said Slater. “There is a need for many more volunteers and, in fact, students ask when they will be getting a mentor! We would love to meet this need.”

The application process to become at mentor with Marion Mentors 21, which includes a screening, background check, and training, is explained in detail on their website at http://marionmentors.org/. In addition to Slater, United Way’s Leslie Schneider helps with mentor recruitment and trainings. She may be reached by calling 740-383-3108.

“Mentor volunteers and referred students each go through an interview and screening process to determine background, skills, and interests,” said Slater. “This information is used to match individuals with similar interests, background, or special skills—with an emphasis on what benefits the student.”

#MarionMade #WeAreMentors

Recent MarionMade! Stories

  • NINE

    NINE–No Instruments Needed Ever–was formed out of the choir at Marion First Church of the Nazarene. What started as nine guys just singing acapella music to see if they could do it, has led to over 5 years of fun and ministry… never accompanied by a single instrument except their voices. NINE is comprised of […]Read More »
  • Joyce’s Angels Offer Helping Hands to Local Families

    Caring for people is the center of Joyce Butterman’s life. This Waldo native started working at Marion General Hospital at 16. After 52 years as a nurse, including 20 years in the emergency room and many years with hospice, Butterman retired. Never one to slow down, she works as a supervisor at Marion Pointe nursing […]Read More »
  • Peltier Chiropractic

    PELTIER CHIROPRACTIC. Dr. Dave Peltier and his family settled in Marion, Ohio, in December 1992 and soon after opened Peltier Chiropractic. “A couple of my siblings were living in Columbus, so we started to survey and visit outlying communities around central Ohio. We drove thru Marion and began talking to people that lived here about […]Read More »
  • Marion’s Hall of Fame

    Marion County Historical Society’s Hall of Fame While MarionMade’s Celebrate Marion Gala is only two years old, the effort to recognize Marion’s notables has a far longer history.  The official Marion County Hall of Fame resides inside the Marion County Historical Society’s Heritage Hall, and has since 1988. A nomination process for new inductees is […]Read More »

Share Your MarionMade! Story

Click Here to share your story about MarionMade! people, places, products, and programs!
  • Get Involved
  • About
  • Events
  • People
  • Places
  • Products
  • Programs
  • Links
  • Contact

Marion Area Convention & Visitors Bureau Downtown Marion Love INC Marion Public Library Marion Area Chamber of Commerce Marion CANDO! Marion Community Foundation United Way of Marion County Marion Technical College

© 2025 · MarionMade! is a community initiative led by Marion Technical College · Website is powered by Neighborhood Image