Builders Club at Guthrie Junior High highlights mentorship during National Mentoring Month

As part of National Mentoring Month in January, Guthrie Public Schools is shining a spotlight on the importance of mentorship in student development, particularly through student organizations like the Builders Club at Guthrie Junior High.

The Builders Club, a junior high-level organization partnered with the local Kiwanis Club, embodies the theme “Building a Better Community.” The club’s primary goal is to instill a love of volunteering and community service among students, fostering teamwork and a sense of responsibility. Members of the club earn community service hours as they work together on projects that benefit both the school and the community.

Mentorship plays a key role in the club’s activities. Students are guided by high school members of the Key Club and adult volunteers from the Kiwanis Club during events like the Kiwanis Christmas Auction. This partnership allows junior high students to gain insight from more experienced volunteers. “It’s really neat to see them recognize their role in a bigger event,” said Courtney Dimmitt, faculty advisor for Builders Club. “The students from the high school and community adults get the chance to pour knowledge into some eager junior high students.”

The mentorship extends beyond interaction with high school students and adults. Eighth-grade members of Builders Club naturally take on leadership roles by mentoring seventh-grade members. For many of the younger students, joining the club is a new experience, and the eighth graders help them navigate the importance of volunteering and the impact their efforts have on others. “I’ve seen some seventh graders really latch on to the mentorship from our eighth graders. I see some excellent leaders not only for next year’s Builders Club, but also in our school as a whole,” Dimmitt noted.

One of the club’s ongoing initiatives is the Builders Club Hygiene Drive, a classroom-level competition where students donate hygiene items for the Logan County Youth Shelter. Builders Club members are responsible for organizing the competition, sorting donations, and tracking contributions, all while striving to make the event larger and more impactful each year.