The YMCA of Jefferson County’s Building Futures program, a school-based mentoring program, honors its mentor relationships in what President Barack Obama has recently proclaimed as “National Mentoring Month.”

Building Futures matches a volunteer mentor with a student who has been referred to the program. The program accepts students in grades 1-8 from Port Townsend, Chimacum and Quilcene school districts. YMCA staff make matches based on interests, preferences and recommendations from the schools.

Program coordinator Dana Nixon, based in Port Townsend, took on the program when it had just seven active matches.

“As of this week, we will have 26 active matches,” Nixon said in a press release. “I get to see how these mentoring relationships benefit students and volunteers firsthand. I love being able to see friendships grow and develop within the program, and how serendipitous some of the matches end up being.”

For example, when interviewing one potential mentor, Nixon learned that the volunteer had experience in environmental education and plant science. When she interviewed the student, she learned that the student’s favorite thing to do was to dig in the dirt. She had the two meet in the school garden during their first match meeting, and their love for plants has developed into a plant-breeding program.

According to the National Mentoring Partnership, at-risk youths supported by a mentor are 52 percent less likely than their peers to skip a day of school; 55 percent more likely to be enrolled in college; 46 percent less likely than their peers to start using drugs; 81 percent more likely to report participating in extracurricular activities; and 78 percent more likely to volunteer regularly in their communities. Having a mentor empowers young people to make smart choices that put them on a path to making better life decisions, Nixon said.

Throughout January, Nixon is renewing match contracts for existing matches, promoting the program through storytelling, encouraging students to find special ways to thank their mentor and attending special match activities. One such special match activity is a STEAM (science, technology, engineering, art and math) class at Port Townsend’s Blue Heron School, where a mentored student is taking the lead to present a three-part program on building a small emergency-preparedness camp stove.

“This kind of leadership development is exactly what makes this program effective for kids who may be more independent-type learners,” Nixon said.

The Y sends a big thanks to all Building Futures mentors, student participants and community supporters, including program sponsors that allow the Y to make this program free to participants. Volunteer mentors may apply by contacting

dana@olympicpeninsulaymca.org or 385-5811.