Building Connections Beyond Mentoring
During my first two months serving as an AmeriCorps Groundwork Fellow at Bolder Options, I have observed firsthand the care and intention that go into Bolder Options’ program design and implementation and the impact such programming has on its participants. As I reflect on my first months at Bolder Options, I’m excited to share what has stuck with me thus far.
AmeriCorps is a national service program that connects people with opportunities to serve their communities. Through Minnesota Alliance With Youth’s Groundwork Fellows program, members spend a year helping youth-serving organizations strengthen their work while developing their own skills as leaders.
At Bolder Options, my role focuses on research and program design to strengthen the Alumni Pathway. One priority is researching opportunities for younger alumni who are ages 11–13 when they complete their first year of mentoring. Bolder Options offers many programs for youth ages 14 and older, and I’m exploring how we can fill the gap for younger alumni so they have opportunities to stay connected and continue growing.
I’m also piloting a group for alumni who are currently high school seniors. We first met in October to establish where each participant is now and where they want to be by the end of the school year. The group will meet monthly to check in on their progress toward individual goals, whether that means recovering credits, completing college applications, or working toward another priority. Whatever their focus, Bolder Options can be a resource, and their peers can serve as accountability partners to help them stay on track.
The first alumni event I attended was Cooking Night, at which we split into teams and made three different brownie recipes. That night, it was immediately clear to me how much the alumni love Bolder Options. Before the event started, youth were playing pool, chatting on the couch, and excitedly greeting their friends as they arrived. During the event, the energy remained high, and youth took the lead on their brownie creations.
The joy, connection, and leadership I observed at my first alumni event have held true for all programming and events I have been involved with since. It is increasingly evident to me that youth at Bolder Options feel comfortable in the space, with one another, and with the staff, and are eager for opportunities to connect, strengthen their skills, challenge themselves, and plan for their future.
During I Believe programming, youth are given the space and guidance to reflect on their values and goals, and I have watched them do so with enthusiasm. With their individual goals in mind, alumni generated thoughtful questions for a career panel, practiced asking them confidently and professionally, and presented their questions to the panel the following week.
The experiences and opportunities the Alumni Pathway provides are so valuable to its participants’ personal and academic growth and to connecting their present-day choices to the future they envision for themselves.
Relationships—building, nurturing, and maintaining them—are at the foundation of Bolder Options. The Alumni Pathway builds upon the relationships youth form with their mentors and expands their network of support. As I dive into research and program design for the Alumni Pathway, I’ve asked alumni what keeps them coming back to Bolder Options, and “the community” comes up time and time again. The connections youth make at Bolder Options are truly important to them. The relationships they have formed with their peers, their mentors, staff, and with themselves are powerful to witness. Bolder Options has created an environment where these relationships can not only form, but grow and thrive.
While my primary focus during my service term is the Alumni Pathway, I have made sure to spend ample time during my first months familiarizing myself with the 1:1 mentoring program and getting a look at what goes into the building of trust and connection between youth and their mentors. Through events such as Hispanic Heritage Cooking Night, Garden Tear-Down, and a group bike ride, I’ve had the opportunity to experience the ways activities at Bolder Options promote wellness, exploration, reflection, and connection.
It has been an exciting first couple of months for me at Bolder Options, and I’ve been thoroughly enjoying getting to know the people, values, and programming that make Bolder Options a place youth love and a place where youth grow. I’m looking forward to continuing my research and program design within the Alumni Pathway and helping to support such important programming.
