Author Archives: Shepherds

Update During these Unusual Times

| April 1, 2020

Dear Shepherds Community,

As the implications of the virus pandemic become more immediate, it’s our sense that the connections that underpin the Shepherds partnership of student-parent-school-mentor-staff are even more relevant.

First, and foremost, we hope and pray that you and your families are well.

Second, the Shepherds staff is on duty – yes, like many of you, we are balancing home, family, virtual learning, and work responsibilities. But we have a job to do and are available to hear from you. If you think we can help in any way, please do not hesitate to reach out to any of us.

    Third, we would like to begin the process of building a community of sharing. We hope that by communicating more, we can support each other even if we can’t physically be there for one another.  Please share your stories – images or written –  about how you’re adapting to the current conditions, what you’ve learned and any suggestions you may have for others.

Send us your input or pictures at info@shepherdsmentors.org or text them to 203-550-6395, or tag Shepherds on Instagram or Facebook. We will post them for the greater community. We’ll curate the input and post as appropriate, names only disclosed upon permission.  

   Continues….

Message from Executive Director Dan McAuliffe on COVID-19

| March 26, 2020

The COVID-19 pandemic has caused uncertainty for me, my family and the world around us. As Shepherds Executive Director, I believe I have a better understanding of what Shepherds students experience each day.

Without guidance, they are unsure how to navigate the educational challenges they face. Our students are both economically and educationally disadvantaged. Most of our students come from homes where no one has attended college previously.They are unsure how to navigate a rigorous high school educational experience and the college application process, including financial aid.

While motivated and talented, our students need additional support and guidance beyond what they receive at home. Shepherds provides a private college preparatory education, educational and social skills training and, most importantly, a caring mentor to guide the way.

I hope you join me by supporting Shepherds as a mentor for our upcoming freshman class or by donating to support our successful program. To find out more about helping our mission, fill out this form and we will get back to you.

Shepherds 2018-19 Annual Report

| March 20, 2020

This Annual Report presents the intersection of the numbers, events, and the people that define Shepherds’ mission in action.

We are proud of the accomplishments of our students and the role Shepherds plays in supporting them. We invite you to read our Annual Report and hope it inspires you to support our mission by becoming a mentor or financially support our program. To find out more, contact Executive Director Dan McAuliffe at info@shepherdsmentors.org or call 203.367.4273

Annual Report 2018-2019

Shepherds NDWH Accepted into National Honor Society

| March 8, 2020
NDWH Honors

Shepherds student Maicol applied and was accepted into Notre Dame West Haven’s National Honor Society. Election for membership is based on outstanding scholarship, demonstrated character, leadership, and service. We are exceptionally proud of Maicol’s hard work in achieving this distinction.

Shepherds Celebrates Mentors at NDWH

| February 4, 2020

Shepherds enjoyed hearing from a student alumnus at Shepherds Notre Dame Mentor Appreciation Night. Notre Dame West Haven ’14 alum, Jeenn Barreiro embraced the lessons he learned during his time as a Shepherds student at NDWHS.

After high school, he continued his education at College of the Holy Cross, graduating in 2018. Jeenn currently works at Brigham and Women’s Hospital as a researcher and plans on attending graduate school in the fall.

While his academic and work successes make Shepherds proud, his impact on his community in Boston brings the lessons learned at Shepherds and NDWH full-circle. At our Mentor Appreciation Night, he spoke about how he is now a mentor himself. Jeenn mentoring and coaching a soccer team of refugees, undocumented and socio-economically challenged youths.

KCHS Seniors Attend Off to College Workshop

| February 1, 2020

KCHS seniors (pictured) attended workshops with Jane-Ellen Collins at the end of January. Students received a crash-course on what it means to be a freshman in college.

Topics covered included roommate issues, laundry, planning a schedule, balancing studies and fun, where to go for academic help and a lot more! Consistently rated a favorite Shepherds activity by graduating seniors, Jane-Ellen does a great job preparing our KCHS Seniors for the next big step in their academic lives: Being a College Freshman

Shepherds Receives Three Key Grants Totaling $22,500

| January 27, 2020

Shepherds is pleased to announce that we have recently been awarded three grants to support the Shepherds program.

  • Bedford Family Social Responsibility Fund via the Westport/Weston YMCA granted Shepherds $10,000 to expand our capacity and to serve and to help fund the three parts of the Shepherds program.
  • Inner City Foundation has provided Shepherds with $10,000 for the specific purpose of tuition support.
  • Henry E. Niles Foundation has given Shepherds $2,500 to support our student programming and mentoring support.

As our partner schools have started accepting applications for their fall 2020 freshmen classes, Shepherds needs to find mentors and sponsors for these deserving students. To find out more, contact Dan McAuliffe, info@shepherdsmentors.org.

National Mentoring Month

| January 25, 2020

January is National Mentoring Month and Shepherds is so thankful for all the mentors that assist our students.

Our mentors are kind-hearted adults who help bridge the opportunity gap our inner-city students have. A good mentor allows students to see the hope and possibilities within themselves. Becoming a Shepherds is a satisfying way to make a positive impact on a young person in your own backyard.

As the Chronicle of Evidence Based Mentoring states, mentoring is an opportunity not only for the student, but for the mentor as well.

To find out more about becoming a mentor at Shepherds, contact Executive Director Dan McAuliffe at info@shepherds.com or www.shepherdsmentors.org

Four Ways Mentoring Benefits the Mentor

Shepherds Fall 2020 Mentor/Sponsor Recruiting Season is Now OPEN

| January 20, 2020

There are few things more rewarding than helping change the course of a young person’s life. As a Shepherds Mentor you commit to sharing your time and experience with a student whose life you will certainly positively impact throughout their four-years of high school. As a Shepherds Sponsor, you help financially support our efforts in Bridgeport and New Haven.

As our partner schools have started accepting applications for their fall 2020 freshmen classes, Shepherds needs to build our pool of potential mentors and sponsors for the students we bring into the Shepherds program next fall.

The following form is a way for us to gauge interest and gather information about our potential new mentors. Please complete the this form to begin the process of changing a student’s life. Full application will be sent out in January 2020.

Shepherds Mentors Form

Giving Tuesday

| December 3, 2019
A financial contribution to Shepherds this Giving Tuesday has a tremendous impact on a local high school student. Shepherds students are successful students who continue their education after high school. Our graduation rate is 95% compared to their Bridgeport and New Haven peers graduation rate at 55-60%. Last year, 100% of our students went on to institutions of higher learning. We have a tremendous core group of volunteers, but we still need financial resources to continue providing tuition, academic and social support services to our students.
 
Join us in ensuring Shepherds students can build that solid foundation by donating today.