My experience as an Elder Mentor, join us!
Contributed by Grandma Thea
My name is Thea Whitehead, and I am so pleased to share information on the Elder Mentor Program with our community. If you are age 55+, love working with kids, and have some free time in your schedule, I highly encourage you to join our program! Elder Mentors are like grandparents in the classroom, all over Alaska. You serve in your local community at a school close to where you live. RurAL CAP does an excellent job of setting up your volunteer service at your school site, so all you have to do is have fun with the children and help them grow! You can even choose the grade level of students you would like to support, from Head Start through high school, and you choose the kind of service you want to offer the kids, like being a lunch buddy, a tutor, or be a Culture Bearer, and much more. The whole point is for you to enjoy what you do and have a positive impact on children. Elder Mentors also receive a small, tax-free stipend for their service, plus other benefits. Furthermore, as an Elder Mentor you also are part of the national AmeriCorps Seniors network, which is pretty cool.
I love my volunteer service. The kids truly love and cherish you in a unique way. And I get so much back—spending time with the kids just fills my heart with love. I volunteer with students at Iditarod Elementary in Wasilla. I was named a Champion for Children by Mat-su Education Association, and Volunteer of the Year 2022-2023 at Iditarod. Here’s what staff and students shared about my service in the classroom-
“When Grandma Thea came to Iditarod as part of RurAL CAP’s Elder Mentor Program, she quickly became an essential part of our team, and even quicker, she occupied space in our hearts. Grandma Thea goes above and beyond to serve the students at Iditarod Elementary each and every day. Whether it’s through helping them learn letters, playing a game, or just sitting with students during lunch, she is so caring, kind, and thoughtful in her approach toward kids who truly need love the most. When you get the chance to actually sit down and chat with Grandma Thea, she’ll tell you of her recent skydiving adventures or the time she spent as a mermaid. She is an educator with vast experience and expansive heart that has just blessed our students, staff, and community in so many meaningful ways. Grandma Thea is a true champion for children.
But don’t just take our word for it, as here is what the kindergarten students had to say:
“Grandma Thea is nice.”
“Grandma Thea is kind.”
“Grandma Thea helped me learn the letters – X, Z, A and C … and maybe kinda all of them.”
“We get to eat lunch with her on Fridays.”
“It's nice that she talks to us at lunch.”
“Grandma Thea is happy.”
“Grandma Thea is respectful.”
“Grandma Thea is Husky-Strong.”
“Grandma Thea is fun.” “Yes, very fun!”
“Grandma Thea is sweet.”
“Grandma Thea cares about us.”
“Grandma Thea plays games with us like Spot-it and Kaboom.”
“She looks like my real grandma.”
“Grandma Thea is smart.” “Yes, very smart!”
“It's nice to have Grandma Thea at my school since my grandma isn't around anymore.”
“We LOVE Grandma Thea.”
I heard that at one point, one of the boys led his classmates as they repeated each praise in a rhythmic chant: he’d start with “Grandma Thea is happy,” then everyone would repeat “Grandma Thea is happy...” all the way to “Grandma Thea is Husky-Strong!” and so on. The school mascot is the husky, so that one was really fun!
I highly encourage your local Head Start, school and after-school programs to check out the Elder Mentor Program online at eldermentor.org, or give the team a call at 907-865-7276 for more information. There’s an Interest Form on the website for potential volunteers, and also a Site Interest Form if you want to bring Elder Mentors to your classroom. The program onboards volunteers throughout the year, so don’t hesitate to reach out!
-Grandma Thea