Lunch Buddies
Lunch Buddies is a dynamic program designed to strengthen elementary school students’ foundational math and reading skills by pairing them with mentors and tutors. Students participate in small-group interactions during lunch with peers and mentors, which helps boost their academic performance, social awareness, and relationship skills.
Caring, dedicated community members and high school students serve as mentors and tutors to provide academic support and foster stable, trusting relationships with students. These volunteers help students by:
- Increasing fluency, building vocabulary, and improving comprehension in ways that make reading both fun and informative.
- Supporting foundational math skills
- Building confidence
- Developing critical thinking skills
- Creating engaging and meaningful learning experiences.
Become a Volunteer Lunch Buddy
Lunch Buddies relies on trained volunteers to provide academic support using effective instructional strategies. These volunteers play a crucial role in enhancing students’ academic performance, social awareness, and relationship skills.
Volunteer Mentor Overview Information
Who: Caring and reliable community members
What: Lunch Buddies is a volunteer-driven program that enhances elementary school students’ math and reading skills. Students participate in small groups with peers and volunteer mentors during lunch, focusing on academic improvement, social awareness, and relationship-building skills.
Where: Jane Addams Elementary School, Palatine, IL
When: The program runs from October to May, Mondays, Tuesdays, and Thursdays during lunchtime, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. (Dates and times subject to change).
Volunteers are asked to commit one or two days per week.
Why:
- Make a Difference: As a mentor, you can have a profound impact on a student’s life. You can help students navigate challenges and excel academically by providing guidance, encouragement, and support.
- Empathy and Understanding: Your experiences can offer valuable lessons, inspiring you to empathize and share stories of resilience with the students you mentor.
- Build Confidence: When students see progress and improvement, their confidence grows. Your encouragement and support can significantly boost their self-esteem.
- Learn and Grow: Mentoring is a two-way street–you’re teaching the students and learning from them! You’ll discover various t learning styles, communication techniques, and problem-solving strategies.
- Create Lasting Connections: Developing a strong mentor-mentee relationship can forge lifelong bonds. You’ll get to see your students grow and celebrate their successes alongside them!.
- Increase your Experience: Mentoring provides an excellent opportunity to enrich one’s job experience and can especially benefit college and graduate students needing to fulfill field hour requirements.
Please be aware that the application process requires a reference check and a criminal background check. Training is provided through a self-guided online course with a graded final assessment.
For additional information, contact the Manager of School Programs, Montana Lechner, at montana@handsonsuburbanchicago.org.
Our Partner
The Lunch Buddies Program proudly partners with Consolidated Community School District 15 (Jane Addams Elementary School.
HOSC School Programs
Our school programs provide equitable opportunities for low-income, high-risk elementary and middle school students to succeed in high school. These programs improve the grades, attendance, and social and emotional well-being of students – many of whom have limited English proficiency and receive special education – leading to successful transitions to high school. We achieve this by holistically addressing student and family needs with an integrated multi-tier support system combining tutoring, mentoring, behavioral health services, and case management in collaboration with community partners.