Expanding Horizons
Mission Statement
Expanding Horizons is a mentoring program for high school students with migrant parents. Dickinson mentors are paired with mentees from schools around the Cumberland Valley. By attending evetns at Dickinson throughout the year and by keeping in touch, mentors and mentees form relationships where mentors help with school work, provide information about getting into college and give students an outlet and support network. The one-on-one time that mentees spend with their Dickinson mentors is extremely valuable. This mission statment can be found here.
Events
Each Dickinson College Student is paired up with a high shool student. It is expected that the college student will maintain a one-on-one relationship with the high school student they are paired up with (via phone, internet, and in person). Once a month the high school students are brought to the campus where they will be able to spend time with their mentor, do fun activities (such as skating, bowling etc.), and learn education tools to help them get through school. The Lincoln Intermediate Unit is the organization that bring the high school students from Chambersburg, Harrisburg, Shippenburg and Carlisle to the college. This organization deals with the development of migrand children. For more information visit their unofficial website by Nsenga Jenkins '07.
Effectivness
Expanding Horizons is now under the umbrella of Roteract. With the help of Roteract they are able to get more funding and publicity. It is sometimes difficult to see the impact made on the high school students. The results are not immediate, they are for the long term benefit of these high schoolers. However, Expanding Horizons are achieving their goals and strive to make better goals as the organization grows.
Problems/Dilemmas
There are a couple of road blocks with this group. Because they only meet about one time per month, if any member or high school student cannot make it to the monthly event, that is a set back in the progress, participation and sence of consistency. Another problem is the migration patterns, often late fall the program loses a large percent of their mentees as many of them move with their parents to their next work location.
