It's Your June Milagro Mentor Messenger Newsletter!

June 2025

Volume IV, Issue 5

As they say, "Time flies when you're having fun!".... and boy oh boy, are we having fun at Milagro Center's summer camp! Would you believe we have just wrapped up our 4th week of camp?!

Hello Milagro Mentors!

Our 10-week full day summer camp is going "swimmingly" well (and yes, swimming is every Feriday afternoon). Our Milagro students are having fun while also continuing to learn and improve their reading and math skills. Academics, art, music, outdoor activities, enriching STEM sessions, off-site field trips, and computer time fill each day. Plus, our STARS students are loving our new book vending machine! The kids get points and earn “gold” coins that they use to "purchase" a new book from the vending machine that is theirs to take home. To earn a “gold” coin and select a free book, a child is recognized for any of the positive behaviors below:

Completing reading assignments and/or book reports
Exhibiting good behavior which exemplify our living values
Showing acts of kindness towards others
Helping with cleaning tasks
Or just needing a little incentive to encourage summer reading

We are so proud that our Milagro kiddos don’t experience the typical "summer learning slide" that other students have during the summer break. This is due to our exciting and educational programs, activities, passionate teaching staff, and all of you, our fabulous Mentors! And for that and so much more, we thank you!

Just a few housekeeping reminders:

Please remember to check below for upcoming key dates that may affect your Mentor sessions
For those of you who are planning to vacation away this summer, please remember to stay in touch with your mentees. They miss you! You can send cards, call, do Facetime or Zoom. Check with me if you do not have contact info for your mentee or mentee’s parent.
If you haven't already done so, please sign up for our private "Milagro Miracle Makers" Facebook page.

Scan the below QR Code for easy access:

Thanks again for all you do, and have a happy Independence Day!

With gratitude,

Ms. Laurie, Director of Volunteers and Mentors c

JUNE 2025 MENTOR Spotlight!!!

Asher is a bright child with a giggly, somewhat shy personality.

I enjoy coming to Milagro and spending time with him; it’s something I’ve always wanted to do!

Mr. Ray

In The Words of a Milagro Mentor

I have been mentoring at Milagro for about 7 years and I love the program and the kids. My Mentee and I have developed a great relationship, and I enjoy seeing him each week.

Mr. Andy

SUPPORT OUR ACADEMIC EMERGENCY INITIATIVES! https://www.milagrocenter.org/academic-emergency-initiatives/

What is a mentor?

“My mentor said, ‘Let’s go do it,’ not ‘You go do it.’ How powerful when someone says, ‘Let’s!’”

— Jim Rohn

“A mentor empowers a person to see a possible future, and believe it can be obtained.”

— Shawn Hitchcock

“A mentor is someone who allows you to see the hope inside yourself.”

— Oprah Winfrey

“A mentor is someone who sees more talent and ability within you than you see in yourself, and helps bring it out of you.”

— Bob Proctor

Mentoring is a 2-way win-win street!

The below is so important that we are including this again in this issue....

We all recognize that Mentoring has positive effects on the Mentee, but did you know that being a Mentor benefits YOU in your personal life? Yes, it's true! Here, according to Psychology Today, are 10 ways your life becomes better through mentoring:

Improved listening skills
Gaining new perspectives
Increased happiness and sense of purpose
Enhanced leadership skills
Lower anxiety levels
Becoming inspired
A new sense of pride and satisfaction
Gaining personal growth
Gaining emotional attachment
Knowing you are making life-long memories and leaving a legacy

At the heart of it, mentoring helps meet the basic human need of letting young people know they matter and are not alone. Mentoring relationships promoted a strong sense of belonging in youth — an internal asset essential for healthy development. The emotional and practical support that mentors offer has also been linked to positive academic, personal and professional achievements:

Mentored youth who experienced adversity while growing up were more than twice as likely to volunteer in their community and hold a leadership position in a club or sports team.
74% of those who had a meaningful mentor say that person contributed significantly to their later success in life.
85% of young people with a mentor say this key relationship has helped them with issues related to school and their education.
58% percent of young people say their mentor has supported their mental health.
60% of those under 40 years old are still drawing advice from their childhood mentors.

We all want our Mentees to develop their social, emotional, intellectual, and physical sides - so here are 10 activities and ideas

to help your Mentee excel!

1) “Mentees are teachers!” Let your mentee plan to teach you something they are knowledgeable about, and let them teach it.

2) “Go on a trip!” Not really of course, but choose a place you have always wanted to visit (Fiji, Greece, Disney World) and find pictures and fun facts in magazines, books and online. When is the best time to go? What do you want see while you are there? Then make your own scrapbook. or travelers guide. A great way to explore and learn geography!

3) Play the “Who, what, when, where, why, how” game. Rip 6 pieces of paper and on each write “who”, “what”, “when”, “where”, “why” and “how”. Read a story, and take turns drawing one of the pieces of paper and answering a made up “who”, “what”, “when”, “where”, “why” or “how” about the story.

4) “Learn a language!” Learn Sign language, Spanish, Latin or Pig Latin! Teach each other a new word or phrase at each session. Write them down to keep track and see how many you can remember.

5) “Show and Tell!” You and your mentee can both bring in photos or items that important to you.

6) Set a goal

7) “Act it out!” Go to Milagro's "library", find a book, and read it out loud.

8) Make your own board game.

9) You can each make a list of 10 things you want to do or accomplish during your lifetime and share it with one another.

10) “Write a letter!” to your mentee's parent, sibling, friend, or teacher. For younger students you can work on your letter together letting them dictate to you or maybe help to write.

Be Kidsafe presents online training on “Helping Your Child Listen.” The free online training covers the importance of the relationship, encouragement vs. praise, reflective listening, choices and more:

Becoming a Better Mentor: Strategies to Be There for Young People is a free resource written by experts in the field to benefit any adult looking to support young people. Full of real-world advice and evidence-based strategies, it provides mentors with tangible strategies. Learn core skills, effective online communication, cultural humility and providing emotional support.

Click here

IMPO.RTANT DATES TO REMEMBER:

Thursday, July 3rd: The STARS Center is closing at 2:30 pm
Friday, July 4th: Milagro Center is closed for the holiday
Thursday, August 7th: Last day of summer camp
Friday, August 8th: Milagro Center is closed for school reset
Monday, August 11th: First day of the 2025-2026 school year; Milagro Center resumes afterschool programs - yay!