C4K | Policies

Please email all time sensitive messages to thec4kstaff@computers4kids.net, or
Phone 817-1121
Program Director: Dolly Joseph dolly@computers4kids.net
Lab Manager: Kourtney Igbo kourtney@computers4kids.net

Goal	To teach valuable skills, model life-long learning and curiousity, set a positive example, and be a friend.
Duties	Attend a one-time Mentor Training session; Meet with a child once a week for an hour to an hour and a half; Communicate with C4K staff re progress, schedule changes and concerns; Document progress through the use of the daily checklists, planning and evaluation forms; Participate in graduation exercises.
Qualifications	Comfort with basic computer navigation and software applications; Willingness to learn and share with a student; Desire to work with a young person.
Time Required	Mentor Training: 1-2 hours; One hour per week for 36 hours for community members or one and a half hours per week for UVA students over the course of 9-12 months.
Benefits	Bringing positive, permanent change to a young life in your community; Feel good knowing that the skills that your student learns through you will give him or her tools for future success Participate in our vibrant learning community Practice and acquire new skills

High School diploma
Be willing to adhere to Computers4Kids' policies and procedures
Agree to work with a learning partner for thirty-six hours
Commit to spending a minimum of one hour a week with a learning partner
Complete and pass the screening process
Attend a mentor orientation session
Be willing to communicate regularly with the lab staff and submit information as requested
Have access to an automobile or reliable transportation
Not have falsified information during the course of the screening process

It is the policy of Computers4Kids that each mentor completes the screening process.
At minimum, the following screening process is required for all mentor applicants. Program staff must ensure that each applicant completes this established minimum screening process:

Complete written application
Attend a mentor orientation
Check criminal history: felony records search and fingerprint check for all mentors.

All mentors are expected to meet the eligibility criteria.
Documentation of the screening process must be maintained for each applicant and placed in confidential files.

It is the policy of Computers4Kids that all mentors and learning partners must participate in closure procedures when their match ends. Closure is defined as the ending of a formal match relationship regardless of the circumstances of the match ending or whether they intend to have future contact informally beyond the match duration.

Closure can occur for any number of reasons including the contracted match duration has ended, one or both participants do not want to continue the match, there are changes in life circumstances in one or both of the match partner's lives, or an individual no longer meets the requirements for program participation. Hence, the match may end at the discretion of the mentor, learning partner, parent/guardian, and/or C4K staff . It is left to the discretion of the program director whether an individual will be reassigned to another match in the future based upon past participation performance and current goals and needs of the program.

Should a mentor need to end their relationship with a student, C4K asks that you give the learning lab staff ample notice so we can coordinate a smooth transition. When possible, we hope to end the relationship with the mentor communicating to the student that they can no longer participate in the program. A lab staff can facilitate this conversation, if necessary.

Future contact will be at the mutual and informal agreement of the mentor, the learning partner and parent/guardian. If future contact is agreed upon, Computers4Kids will not be responsible for monitoring and supporting the match after the match has ended nor will we be liable for any incidences that occur after the match has closed.

It is the policy of Computers4Kids to facilitate consistent meetings between mentors and learning partners. It is of the utmost importance that the learning partner receive the benefit of a consistent relationship with his or her mentor. If a mentor is unable to attend a scheduled meeting with his/her learning partner s/he is expected to contact his/her learning partner and reschedule. When contact with learning partner is unsuccessful, the mentor is expected to contact the C4K office as quickly as possible so that the student can be informed and the session can be rescheduled. Please e-mail thec4kstaff@computers4kids.net to reschedule sessions, unless your session is the same day – in that case, please call the lab so that we may be sure to get the message. Please note that it is extremely difficult to contact student during the school day. Please make every effort to contact staff prior to the lab closing the night before.

Please note that there are many avenues to connecting with your student via social media. Please be respectful and aware of potential age and cultural differences. Do not "friend" or connect with your student via social media if you there is adult content on your pages or if you feel uncomfortable sharing that aspect of your life with your student.

We do recognize that this is a volunteer program and we will be flexible in working with mentors. Good communication will help us avoid pitfalls in delivering services to the students. We also recognize that mentoring can be taxing at times, so if there are any concerns about the program or the mentoring relationship, please discuss them with the learning lab staff.

Students are responsible for their own transportation to and from C4K. Computers4Kids cannot be responsible for mentors providing transportation. You should not be asked to provide transportation to your student.

It is the policy of Computers4Kids to match mentors with students in a manner that will maximize the relationship. One of the criteria will be the mentor's abilities and the student's interest. We will attempt to match personalities or any other factors that can contribute to the fostering of a good relationship. If at any point a mentor feels that a match is not working, s/he is free to communicate to the learning lab staff and we will either work together to solve the problem or consider matching the student with another mentor. The student will be offered the same consideration if s/he has concerns. In the event that a student requests a new mentor, the following process will be followed:

The student or parent must make a request to the learning lab staff
A member of the learning lab staff will discuss the request with the mentor
A decision to change mentors will only be made if there are valid concerns and there are no other alternatives to remedy the problem

If a mentor wishes to be paired with another student s/he should communicate this desire to a member of the learning lab staff. It is important to note when either a student or mentor requests a change, our top priority is ensuring that both parties benefit from the program. We recognize that there are situations where a change is necessary, and also situations where potential problems can be worked out in a manner to benefit all.

he important point to consider is that the purpose of the program is to help the students and at the same time give mentors an opportunity to grow from and contribute to their experience. If a relationship is not working, we will move to put both students and mentors in a situation that is rewarding for both.