A walk through the Quad is normal for Ball State University students getting to classes during the week, but some will do it to help underprivileged kids Saturday.
The Ball State University chapter of College Mentors for Kids, an organization dedicated to exposing "at-risk" children to college atmosphere, will have its fifth annual Walk for Kids on Saturday. -á
Faculty adviser Dixie Denton said the walk is always fun for everyone and is a great way to help raise money for the organization, particularly to pay for transportation for the children to get back and forth to the university.-áRegistration begins at 9 a.m.. It costs $10 and refreshments will be provided.-á
"The walk is always a blast and, it would be really great for people to attend the event," Denton said. "I am even bringing donuts."-á
The program was established in 1995 at Indiana University by two undergraduates who wanted underprivileged children to learn about higher education so someday they might attend college.-á
In 2001, Ball State became the second school to adopt the program. It helps 70 children at 4 schools, Denton said.
In February, the Ball State chapter won Chapter of the Year at Impulse 2007, the annual banquet to benefit College Mentors for Kids. President Lindsey Koetter said the award says a lot about the direction the chapter has gone in.-á
"When I came to Ball State three years ago, the chapter had just started off," she said. "We were doing the best we could, but it was really nothing great yet. This award signified the huge strides our chapter has made in just three short years."-á
It was nominated for two other awards: Best Leader of the Year and Best Mentor of the Year, Koetter said. The program director told the BSU chapter they received the Best Chapter of the Year because of their well-roundedness, Koetter said.-á
The 70 "little buddies," as the children are called, come from Royerton, Eaton, Albany and Desoto elementary schools and are partnered up with mentors. The mentors are all Ball State students, most of them elementary education majors, Jenny Shea, public relations and marketing director, said.
The college students apply for the position and then have a one-on-one interview with the staff before becoming a mentor, Shea said. The interview is to see the qualities the students possess, she said.-á
The children are chosen by faculty and staff at each school and come to Ball State on Mondays and Wednesdays from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. during the school year. -á
"The children can't wait to get to campus," Denton said. "They even claim campus as part of their own life, which gives me goosebumps thinking about it because it is a part of their life and that is what we are trying to accomplish."-á
The little buddies aren't the only people who benefit from the visits, Denton said.-á
"When these kids show up on campus, the campus comes to life," Denton said. "The energy and enthusiasm from the kids is contagious. Everyone just seems to smile more when they are here."-á
Koetter said it is important for people who apply to understand the amount of work that goes into mentoring. However, the rewards are worth it, she said.-á
"Students gain so much in this program," she said. "We learn leadership and gain experience. We also gain really strong, close relationships with the children. It is a lot of work, but the rewards outweigh anything else."-á
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