In it's 12th year, the Stoneham Chamber of Commerce Career Mentoring program officially begins this Spring at Stoneham High School with Orientation in February and classes scheduled for March, April and May.

Over the years, we've attracted more than one hundred business professionals to work in teams with the Freshmen Students, helping them understand the importance of their high school education, sharing with them the ups and downs of their career choices and guiding the students through information that will help them begin to think about their future.

This year, we  hope to recruit at least 30 mentors, who will work in teams of three with the same class over three 90 minutes sessions. The Chamber provides a guided curriculum, support materials, an orientation session and ongoing support.

All mentors are required to complete an application and agree to a Criminal Offenders Record Inquiry (CORI) in order to participate. All mentors meet at the start of the program to review guidelines and classroom materials.

Along with the obvious goal of encouraging young people to consider their futures and the impact their decisions now will have on their future, this is also an opportunity for the Stoneham business community to be visible and to support education. Each of the mentors in this program brings unique skills, a diverse background and the desire to see future professionals flourish. An underlying outcome of the program is that local employers have an opportunity to meet and influence potential future employees!

Here are some comments from past mentors and students:

“I felt fully supported and comfortable working with the curriculum and the kids,” reported one mentor on her evaluation form. “It was fun watching the students work through the ice breaker and then seeing the looks of delight on their faces as they discovered the ‘trick’  that would make the puzzle work.” 

“Even though I knew what I wanted to be in the future,” wrote one student on his evaluation, “I didn’t know what I would actually be doing. This program helped me understand the job better and confirmed what I already knew – that this was the job for me! Thank you for coming into our room.”

“Our goal for the program has been, from the start, to provide our members with opportunities,” says Executive Director Sharon Iovanni. “First, there’s the opportunity to volunteer in the community and make a difference. Then, there’s the opportunity to share experience and enlighten young people about the future they face. And, there’s the opportunity to grow professional relationships as members partner on teams to work with students in the classrooms. It is truly a win, win, win program!”

Attached is the CORI application which must be completed and submitted to the Chamber in order for you to participate. If you still have questions or would like more information, contact Sharon today!