Iowa State University Extension

Problem:
In 2006, 36 1/2 million Americans (12.3% of the US population) lived in poverty. Bancroft is an Horizon’s community. It meets the qualifications of an impoverished community - 18-23 % of the population has an income below 100% of the poverty guideline. People in poverty face problems many middle class Americans only see on television. Lack of resources and knowledge can cause many Iowans in poverty to become frustrated, seen in a negative light, and misunderstood by the people trying to help them achieve a better life. Many parents work outside the home with little time to spend with their children. Some of the stresses that a low income family may feel: • financial pressures • the difficult choices people need to make, • the difficulties in improving one’s situation and becoming self-sufficient, • the emotional stresses and frustrations caused by having limited resources, and • the positive and negative impacts of “helpers” on people with limited resources.

Response:
Through funding from the Northwest Area Foundation, ISU Families Extension collaborated with Bancroft Volunteers to match community mentors with young Bancroft children. Information about the mentor opportunity was distributed on the community billboard, at the library, on the local cable TV and at the schools. Parents and students learned about the program through fliers posted at community buildings and inserts in church bulletins. Volunteers were recruited; they met at Bancroft library to work with youth on reading skills, spelling, math and other individual learning needs at the elementary level.

Impact:
Eight students and three mentors participated in the program. The mentors met for two hours on three different occasions this spring to work on math skills, reading comprehension, spelling tests and oral reading skills. They plan to continue meeting in the fall. The mentors and students felt that the program made a difference. One mentor met a student she had worked with at a local restaurant. The student came up to his mentor and said that he didn’t even have to take the spelling test! He got 100% on Thursday on the pretest and so on Friday the students are rewarded by not having to retake the test again. She said that this was the first time this student was able to accomplish this. “The smile on his face was worth the small amount of time and effort that it took!” stated the volunteer in Bancroft. The Horizons program had a positive impact in Bancroft through its mentoring program at the public library.

Additional Team Members or Community Partners:
Northwest Area Foundation; Bancroft Horizons Volunteers, Bancroft Public Library, Kossuth County Extension, Public and Private Community Schools.

Contact:
Jan Burk
Clay County Extension
110 W 4th Street
Spencer, IA 51301
712-262-2264
janburk@iastate.edu