THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Friday, October 25, 1996 TAG: 9610250528
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B7 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY JON GLASS, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: NORFOLK LENGTH: 47 lines
Officials of the U.S. Navy, the city schools and Old Dominion University entered into a partnership Thursday that eventually could pair hundreds of students at six schools with volunteer Navy mentors.
The compact, described as one of the school system's largest volunteer efforts, is part of an education-reform initiative developed by an ODU professor and designed to raise the achievement of urban students.
A major goal is to improve the bonds between schools and the community. Securing the Navy mentoring program is a ``milestone,'' said ODU education professor Dwight Allen, architect of the reform effort, called PRIME - for Public Schools Restructuring Through Innovative Mainstream Education.
``If we can bring the community and the schools together to serve the kids, we'll all benefit,'' Allen said at a signing ceremony at Lake Taylor Middle School, one of the PRIME schools. ``When the kids thrive, society thrives.''
The program will begin with 77 Navy volunteers who will each provide two hours a month at three PRIME schools - Lake Taylor High, Lake Taylor Middle and Little Creek Elementary.
In January, the mentors will begin work at the three other PRIME sites - Azalea Gardens Middle and Fairlawn and St. Helena elementary schools.
``Our students need good adult contact, positive role models,'' said Little Creek Principal Sharon Margulies.
Students will receive help with school work but also will have someone to talk to, something students said is important.
``I want him to help me be a success so maybe one day I can go to college and get a good job,'' sixth-grader David Wilder, 12, said of his mentor. ``I think it's a nice program because it helps kids whose parents aren't around, so you can talk to them when you need them.''
Navy Aviation Electronics Technician Chief Greg Trace, one of the volunteer mentors, said he has been paired with a ninth-grader. Trace said he hopes to focus the student on the future.
``Right now, he doesn't have a clue about what he wants to do after high school, and I want to get him thinking about that,'' Trace said.
Capt. Larry Diddlemeyer, deputy commander of Norfolk Naval Base, was on hand to sign the agreement. He said, ``Any impact we can make on turning out a better student, it's a good deal for us.''
Frank Sellew, deputy superintendent of schools, said the program should help ``keep kids on track.''
``We think we'll see better motivated students doing better academically and having goaling and looking at their future.'' by CNB