Team Mentor Program 2018/2019

The Grizzlies Team Mentor Program places three volunteer adult mentors with six students to form a TEAM; each TEAM functions as a micro-community with its own identity, culture, values, and voice.

This was my first year as a mentor and I was lucky enough to get placed with two of the most dedicated co-mentors in the program, Elliot Perry and Justin Brazil. Our students were 8th graders attending Grizzlies Prep, an all-boys charter school founded by the Memphis Grizzlies Foundation.

We met with our TEAM weekly throughout the school year and discussed various topics including empathy, confidence, goal setting, and teamwork. The program provides a base curriculum and we tried to find ways to make it relatable while creating a safe space for the students to discuss what was going on in their lives.

Outside of our classroom meetings we also participated in a day of service where we helped clean up a local neighborhood garden; attended a Grizzlies basketball game; and partnered with a local non-profit, Clean Memphis, on a service project. To wrap up the year the students participated in a service project competition where they were crowned ”Service Champions” by a panel of volunteer judges for having the best service project presentation in the program.

To learn more about the TEAM MENTOR program visit: http://www.grizzliesfoundation.org/teammentor