MENTOR Illinois Assigns Gold Star Status to Arex House TEAM Program

The Arex House TEAM mentoring program earned Gold Star status from MENTOR Illinois, a nonprofit organization dedicated to expanding the quality and quantity of mentoring relationships for children and youth.

The initiative engages 100 students in grades 7 through 12 in a holistic approach, pairing them with volunteer mentors from the community who help them with school work, applying for college and navigating the complex world of financial aid and scholarship assistance.

Students are also able to participate in job shadowing, workshops and other college and career exploration opportunities through TEAM.

“The Gold Star designation shows the incredible dedication our volunteers and staff have for our students,” said Joshua Fulcher, director of Expanded Learning Programs for Children and Youth.

He pointed out that in addition to actual programmed time—mentors meet with students one evening each week during the school year—significant amounts of work happens behind the scenes to ensure youth are able to thrive.