Gets a first hand look at Ford School mentoring program
Cohen-Hillel students who share friendships with Ford School students and who also share a mentoring program with
them, were given a real treat during last week’s mentoring session.
Not long after the Ford kids departed their bus and entered the highly regarded Marblehead Academy for their mentoring session, Governor Deval Patrick showed up. He was accompanied by Congressman John Tierney and Representative Lori Erlich.
The mentoring program the governor and the others came to see first hand is called CHAMPS (Cohen Hillel Academy Mentoring Program for Students).
The program is the result of a longstanding relationship between the academy and the Ford School of Lynn.
For almost two decades, Cohen-Hillel students and Ford students have been involved in a Reading Buddy program.
The two schools have formed a very strong bond, which was evident to the governor, the Congressman and to the Representative during last week’s visit.
The Governor appeared especially interested in watching the kids working together as he toured the Cohen-Hillel facility and talked with students from both schools.
“What a wonderful program,” the governor told Ken Schulman, the head of the Cohen-Hillel Academy.
The governor signed autographs and talked with the students.
“Keep working hard,” he told many of them.
Karen Madorsky, the director of Cohen Hillel’s Champs mentoring program, thanked the governor for coming and for closely scrutinizing the program and for talking with the kids.
For his part, the governor said it all: “You kids inspire me.”
The Champs mentors, and mentoring, aids not only the students from the Ford School who are the recipients of added help but also the students from the Cohen-Hillel who come to understand what helping others is all about.
Really, it is the best of both worlds displayed beautifully.