Become A Mentor

For more than 10 years, Georgia Power employees have been dedicated to mentoring students in Georgia. To broaden our outreach into even more communities, Georgia Power partners with Communities In Schools (CIS) for its mentoring efforts.

CIS is the nation's leading community-based organization helping kids succeed in school and prepare for life. Understanding the important role mentoring plays in this goal, CIS serves as the lead agency for the Georgia Mentoring Partnership (GMP). The primary objective of the mentoring partnership is to provide resources and services that will enhance all mentoring programs across the state.

For more information, please call 404-888-5784 or toll free at 800-838-5784.

About mentoring
To the student, a mentor may be a friend, an advocate, a counselor, a developer of talent, a teacher or an opener of doors. While the mentoring program sets guidelines for the mentor's role in the young person's life, how the mentor fulfills that role will depend on the student's individual needs.

Mentors sometimes directly help students raise their grades by coaching them in their school work. Often mentors indirectly help youngsters improve their academic performance by raising the young person's self-esteem and helping him or her to develop positive values.

Beyond helping with academic goals, the mentor can influence many other aspects of the young person's development.

School principals, counselors and teachers identify students who are likely to benefit from a mentor relationship. If the student is interested and the parent consents, the student is then matched with a mentor whose background and personal style fit well with his own.

A mentor may be a:

• Role model - As a role model, the mentor demonstrates values that offer the best chance for success and happiness. The mentor can serve as living proof that "good guys" can come out ahead.
• Confidant - Most young people look to someone outside the family to confirm what they hear at home. Sometimes all a young person needs is a caring, attentive person to whom he or she can express hopes, fear, ideas, concerns and emotions. The caring actions of the mentor can make a big difference in a young person's life.
• Counselor - The mentor can apply his or her maturity and experience to help the young person find answers to problems that may otherwise seem insurmountable. A mentor may have valuable advice in such areas as finances, relationships and career planning.
• Tutor - The mentor may be able to help a student understand material he is struggling with and may offer hints to improve study habits and overall academic performance.