The Central Virginian - The coronavirus has changed everything, not only students’ needs but also how the program operates as it moves to a virtual format, said Winter Broadhurst, JABA volunteer services coordinator.

“We know that kids are very adaptable, but they also need consistency and routine, and this year, so much has changed for them – everything from how they do school to how they socialize,” she said.

Because of the pandemic, mentors and students cannot meet in person, but FISH is continuing its mission online. Broadhurst acknowledges that moving to a virtual format may present access challenges for families without a strong enough internet connection to support video calls, citing phone mentoring as a potential solution.

Moving to a virtual format has changed how the mentors and students meet, but hasn’t changed the overall goal of the program.

Broadhurst says they consider the mentor’s schedule, subject and grade-level preferences, interests, and specialized skills such as languages.

“If I know that a student enjoys painting, and I have a mentor that enjoys painting, I’ll take that into consideration,” Broadhurst said. “It’s a great way to start building a mentor-mentee relationship over a shared connection like that.” Read more…