The Mentoring Network Inc.

Mentoring Network

Project VanGo

Meets

The Mentoring Network

Take a successful 35-year project which provides art instruction to rural communities, add a dynamic 11-year program that pairs amazing volunteers with at-risk youth, and catalyze the event with a local cause that allows the youth to give back in a creative and deeply meaningful way. Combine these three and you have this year’s Art Day Camp.

Jennifer Williams, adjunct BSU/George Fox Professor and 2002 Idaho Teacher of the Year brought her incredible team of student teachers as part of her VanGo Project to direct The Mentoring Networks Art Day Camp.

At the camp, youth, mentors, and volunteers from Nampa, Caldwell, Vallivue, Parma and Homedale learned the ancient art technique of batik — a process using fabric, wax and dyes to make designed fabrics and cards. But they not only made the batiks…they gave them back.

Under the guidance of Treasure Valley Hospice, the children wrote a personal card to a hospice patient. They lingered over their cards, wanting to say just the right thing to let the recipient know they were cared for. As one wrote:

“I hope you have a good day and I hope this makes you smile. I am thinking of you and made this special for you.”

“It was wonderful for me to see these generous children giving back to others,” Honey Goodman, the community relations director for Treasure Valley Hospice, said. “The art work that The Mentoring Network children made will bring sunshine into the lives of individuals who are going through a rough time.”

A special "thank you" to The College of Idaho Student Philanthropy Council whose grant helped provide the supplies for the day and to the numerous dedicated individuals who donated their time and expertise to make this day a fun learning experience. We all look forward to hearing the feedback next month from Treasure Valley Hospice as they pass out the children's gifts and cards. Thank you for giving the kids a chance to see that they too can give back and make a difference in their communities.

Thank you all for making this possible.

Click here to check out the rest of the pictures from the day in the gallery.

One hour a week changes lives

Terri Breshears, Emily Clements, Jennifer Williams,
Lisa Hunter, and Annemarie Caldwell

Jennifer Williams and Terri Breshears assisted with the wax and dyes for the Batik. Besides the Batik,the youth also made tie dyed t-shirts under the direction Art Instructors, Annemarie Caldwell and Lisa Hunter. They also participated under the guidance of instructor, Emily Clements, in the beginning of a banner that Jennifer Williams hopes to continue to gain the record for the world’s longest dyed banner.