Local Senior Citizens Visit LBMS Mentor Program

Long Beach Middle School students invited a group of senior citizens from the JASA Long Beach Senior Center to join them and their mentors for an afternoon of card making and board games at their Valentine’s Craft and Game Day. The students all participate in the school’s Mentor Program, which provides extra support for at-risk students. This is one of many positive social events that they take part in throughout the year as part of the program.

The Mentor Program was started in 2003 by Vice Principal Keith Biesma to give students a little extra guidance from caring and trusted adults as they navigate the many challenges of their adolescent years. During the course of the year, mentors meet approximately once a week with the students to help with homework, have lunch together, collaborate on arts and crafts, bake cookies, give advice or just lend a friendly ear.