North Plainfield Middle School students, under the direction of science teacher Deanne D’Armiento and Special Education teacher, Sue Pellegrino, have involved their eighth grade students in the MentorPlace program sponsored by the IBM corporation. Martin Laird of IBM Corporate Community Relations is the direct contact person at IBM, and Barbara Conrad is the IBM Chairperson for the program. MentorPlace is an employee-student on-line mentoring program that matches students with adult mentors. Technology for the program is donated by IBM.  IBM employees devote their time and energy to mentor students and to give them a glimpse of the working world. North Plainfield is the first school district in New Jersey to participate in the MentorPlace program.

Area 1: Goals:

Because the weekly communications are structured around pre-planned topics, including poetry, science, music and math, many New Jersey Core Curriculum Content Standards are involved. All topics are addressed through emails, engaging students in the following standards:
                        8.1.8 A   Basic Computer Skills and Tools
                        8.1.8 B   Application of Productivity Tools
As an example of the cross-curricular nature of this program, a recent topic required students to discuss a poem with their mentors, thus involving students in the standard:
                        3.1.8 E   Reading Strategies
                        3.1.8 G   Comprehension Skills and Response to Text
Another example involves students doing research in connection with an invention, bringing into play the standards:
                        3.1.8 H   Inquiry and Research
                        5.4.8 B   Nature of Technology

Area 2: Activities:

Approximately 40 students are matched with 40 volunteer mentors from IBM by science teacher, Deanne D’Armiento, and Special Education teacher, Sue Pellegrino. Students meet their mentors at a Kick-off luncheon at IBM headquarters. Prior to lunch, students take a trip to a local site of interest, which in the past has included GlassWorks in Morristown, NJ and the Liberty Science Center in Jersey City, NJ. After this first meeting where students get to know their mentors on a personal level, students communicate with their mentors weekly via MentorPlace.  (www.mentorplace.org). 

Area 3: Outside Resources:

IBM funds all events, including the Kick-off event and all costs associated with the trip to a local site of interest. They also host a closing luncheon for students and mentors at their office in Piscataway, NJ. IBM has also generously donated 5 computers and an LCD projector to Ms. D’Armiento’s classroom over the four years of our involvement in the Mentor Place program. In addition, they donated a server to the school.

Area 4: Evaluation:

Ms. D’Armiento and Ms. Pellegrino monitor all email communication between students and mentors. In this manner, they have been able to document growth in students’ ability to communicate effectively. All students in two selected classes participate each year, including students of varying levels of ability and students who have been classified as having special learning needs.

Student enthusiasm grows for the program as they become more familiar with their mentor. Initially, many are shy and reluctant to reveal themselves in communications. However, mentors are trained to be supportive and encouraging, and students respond to their efforts. Many students return as high school students to ask about the program’s continuance, describing it as one of their fondest memories of eighth grade. 

Each year, Ms. D’Armiento and Ms. Pellegrino meet with IBM representatives to plan the program calendar and outline the topics for discussion. Based on prior year’s experiences, topics are deleted and modified to match curricular and student needs. Additions to the list of topics are also made.  Mentors also complete evaluation reports at the end of each year.

Area 5: Stability:

North Plainfield Middle School is currently in its fourth year of participation in the MentorPlace program. Martin Laird, IBM Corporate Community Relations, represents IBM in this effort. Larry O’Connell, IBM Senior Location Executive, Barbara Conrad, IBM Senior Manager, and Lee Ann Wood, IBM Project Manager have been an integral part of the program’s continued success. Approximately twelve mentors have continued their participation in the Mentor Place program since its inception. Teachers Deanne D’Armiento and Sue Pellegrino plan to continue their students’ involvement in the program, as they have done for the past four years.

Area 6: Endorsements:

Ms. D’Armiento and Ms. Pellegrino have shared the success of the program with the North Plainfield Board of Education through Power Point presentations because they believe strongly in the merit of the program.  Ms. D’Armiento explains, “This has been one of the most rewarding experiences of my teaching career.  For the student, having another adult express an interest in their thoughts and ideas has been invaluable.  The student’s enthusiasm and excitement is evident in the messages they post and the way they look forward to ‘MentorPlace Days’.  The mentors support and encourage the students through the projects and I believe this has been a wonderful learning experience for both mentors and mentees.”

Students also encourage Ms. D’Armiento to continue the program when they share their feelings about their experiences in the MentorPlace program, and when they tell their younger friends what they can look forward to in the eighth grade.  As one student put it, “MentorPlace inspires me to be creative and have fun.  I have fun doing the activities and getting to know my mentor.  The activities are cool.  They make you think, research and learn.” 

Larry O’Connell, IBM Senior Location Executive, explains, “New Jersey is the most densely populated state in the nation, and we have many small IBM locations throughout this area. Our IBM Mentors are able to form a team—across divisions and products—to leverage IBM technology and make a difference in the community.”

North Plainfield believes that educators must seek out all resources to help motivate students and to help them learn.  The Mentor Place program reaches students in ways that a traditional teaching setting sometimes cannot.  The value of a concerned adult’s interest in and support of a student cannot be underestimated.