Barron Area School District

The Barron Area School District Mentoring Program is a school-based mentoring program for students in middle and high school. Mentoring is about building relationships of trust between a young person and an adult for the purpose of providing support, encouragement and guidance.

Mentors are matched one-on-one with a student and meet with their "mentees" for one hour a week. They may have lunch together, read together, play games, go for a walk, work out in the weight room, share a hobby, discuss current events, work on a school project, or just talk.

You can be a mentor if:

you have a genuine interest in youth
you are flexible and patient
you have good listening skills
you are tolerant and respectful of individual differences
you want to participate in a journey with a child, not "fix" them.

Benefits of Being a Mentor:

Personal fulfillment through contribution to a student's life and the community
Satisfaction in helping a youth mature, progress and achieve goals
Tax deductible mileage and expenses

Click here to get started!

SPOTLIGHT MENTOR: Eric Holten

Why is Eric the spotlight mentor?

Eric is a great mentor because he genuinely cares about his mentee and wants him to be happy and successful. He values community service and understands the impact a person can make by giving of their time. Eric has also been a conscientious mentor—making it a priority to spend time with Jordan.

What Jordan says about his mentor Eric:

I like to have Eric as my mentor because we get along well together. We both like to go fishing and hunting and he is like a friend to me. He helps with all my homework when he doesn't have to and we just get along overall.

How long have you been mentoring?

I started mentoring Jordan in October of 2023.

What inspired you to mentor?

I had some incredible people give back to me when I was in school. I think there is tremendous importance in giving back to the community, and this is one small thing I can do.

What is your favorite aspect of mentoring?

I have enjoyed seeing the growth and maturity Jordan has shown over the course of this school year.

Why do you think others should mentor?

Along with being able to help the youth of Barron, there is also plenty of self satisfaction that comes from the mentor program. I have learned just as much, if not more, from Jordan than he has from me this year, and I look forward to continuing our mentorship together.

"To make a difference in someone's life, you don't have to be brilliant, rich, beautiful, or perfect.

You have to care." -Mandy Hall

Mentor Program