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Youth

Teen Mentors Honored for Leadership and Service

Strategic Insights

— 1 min read

The Barbara Bush Foundation for Family Literacy will honor five mentors from Collier County, Florida, with Teen TrendsettersTM Excellence Awards for their exceptional leadership and service to younger students. These teen mentors, who are part of the Foundation's program, have been instrumental in assisting first through third graders with reading during weekly tutoring sessions. The honorees include Blake Dahlke, John Figueroa, Alex Harp, Jose Reza, and Yoseline Rodriguez, all of whom have demonstrated remarkable dedication and commitment to the program.

Key Takeaways:

  • The Barbara Bush Foundation for Family Literacy has recognized five teen mentors from Collier County with Teen TrendsettersTM Excellence Awards for their outstanding leadership and service.
  • One of the teen mentors, Jose Reza, has volunteered for the past three years and has worked to recruit additional mentors into the program.
  • Since the inception of the program in Florida in 2002, more than 40,000 teens and elementary students have benefited, with teen mentors logging over 314,000 volunteer hours.
  • The program's mentees have received over 230,000 books for their own "at-home" library, with participating first graders showing significant improvement, from starting the school year seven months behind their peers to ending the year on grade level.
  • Liza McFadden, president and CEO of the Foundation, praised the teen leaders, stating, "We couldn't be more proud of these teen leaders, who are positive role models to our next generation of learners."
  • The Barbara Bush Foundation is dedicated to promoting family literacy in homes across America, with a goal of supporting children who start school ready to excel and helping parents improve their literacy skills.

Statistics:

  • 40,000+ teens and elementary students have benefited from the program in Florida since its inception in 2002.
  • Over 230,000 books have been distributed to mentees' "at-home" libraries.
  • Teen mentors have logged over 314,000 volunteer hours in the program.
  • Participating first graders have shown significant improvement, from starting the school year seven months behind their peers to ending the year on grade level.

Sources:

  • Collier County Public Schools, "Barbara Bush Foundation Honors Teen Mentors"
  • Barbara Bush Foundation for Family Literacy, "About Us"
  • Liza McFadden, quoted in Collier County Public Schools announcement.
  • Barbara Bush Foundation for Family Literacy, "Teen Trendsetters"
  • Barbara Bush Foundation for Family Literacy, "Statistics and Impact"

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