Summer 2020 Special Edition

Hello MEGA Mentors and Supporters!

We hope this newsletter finds you safe and in good health and spirits.

"Drastic Times Call for Drastic Measures."

MEGA Mentors goes virtual

MEGA has been extremely busy this summer preparing for the 2020-2021 school year!

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, we have revamped our programs and curriculum delivery.

Through coordination with Chesterfield County Public Schools and our technology partners, we have restructured our in-person mentoring sessions into virtual meetings, which will be conducted via Google Meet. Our sessions are scheduled to kick off in October.

Before the mentoring sessions begin, we will have virtual training classes on facilitation, how to use Google Meet and to introduce the new curriculum.

Each school is finalizing schedules for the upcoming year. Your liaisons and the Communication team will inform you of the training. Keep checking your email for updates.

We've also started administering our New Mentor Orientation & Training sessions virtually using the Zoom platform, and our first one launched successfully on August 1.

The MEGA Annual Membership Meeting in September/October will also be virtual. We will announce the date and RSVP as soon as it's scheduled.

MEGA rebrands image

After months of market research and working closely with our partner Johnson Marketing, Inc. (JMI), we've begun rebranding MEGA, starting with our new logo featured at the top of this newsletter. It symbolizes "I see you, you see me." The idea and hope is: an adult mentors a child, and that child later becomes a mentor themselves.

MEGA is also collaborating with JMI to develop fresh, new content for MEGA's social media presence with the ultimate goal of recruiting more mentors and volunteers, and increase the organization’s fund-raising presence. The secondary goal is to keep you apprised of MEGA events and programs. The new content should start being featured by the end of September.

Additionally, we will be launching a newly designed website by the end of the year. The site will be modern and more user-friendly, with the goals of making access easier for mentors, telling the MEGA story better, and ultimately recruiting more members to our team.

Programs Team acknowledged for tremendous work

The MEGA Leadership Team publicly acknowledges and thanks the Programs Committee and its various subcommittees for their hard work and dedication in preparing MEGA's curriculum to go virtual this fall.

"We are extremely blessed to have such talented members on our team," said Greg Cummings, MEGA's vice president of programming. "Our mix of experts - everything from retired educators to project managers - pulled off this nearly impossible task on a very short deadline."

Ed Baine, MEGA Mentors vice president of administration.

MEGA VP upcoming job promotion

Please join us in congratulating Ed Baine, MEGA's vice president of administration, in his upcoming promotion at Dominion Energy Virginia.

Ed is currently the senior vice president of Power Delivery and will become the president of Dominion Energy Virginia the first of October.

More information about Ed's promotion and other changes at Dominion can be viewed at the PR Newswire article Dominion Energy Names New Executive Leadership Team.

Welcome to MEGA

The Moore Legacy Foundation (MLF) and MEGA Mentors have agreed to partner to deliver digital training (STEM) and technical certifications down the road. Please extend a heartfelt welcome to Dease Moore and the MLF Board.

We also extend a heartfelt welcome and THANK YOU to our new Mentors who joined as of January 1:

A MEGA Carver Middle School received a Student of the Year Award July 30, 2020, during MEGA's gift bag distribution event. Courtesy photo.

Gift bag distribution event

MEGA distributed gift bags and certificates to 2019-2020 school year students and mentor program participants on a beautiful sunny July 30.

Parents and guardians came to selected school locations to retrieve the bags. Pick-up began in July and will continue through the start of the coming school year.

MEGA and non-MEGA volunteers helped prepare the bags, while school principals and coordinators facilitated the distribution of 375 gift bags that included: a congratulatory letter to parents/guardians; Student of The Year Award for awardees; a MEGA t-shirt; a Certificate of Participation; 2020-2021 mentorship program information; books for summer reading (elementary students); and a Visa gift card.

"Thanks to EVERYONE who put in countless hours of work on this project," said Mack Moore, MEGA's treasurer. "School administrators, parents and guardians have expressed their appreciation for our continuing support of CCPS students."

Rachel, Juan and Leah Mercado, non-MEGA neighbors of a MEGA board member, helped put together MEGA's gift bags given out July 30, 2020. Courtesy photo.

Non-MEGA volunteers Katy and Kailey Nicholson were instrumental in assembling the nearly 400 gift bags distributed to MEGA students July 30, 2020. Courtesy photo.

Board member changes

Newly Appointed

MEGA's Board of Directors recently appointed Verna Bradby as the organization's secretary. She will be part of the Executive Committee as well as the general Board, commonly referred to as the Leadership Team.

Rotated Off

Beth Teigen, PhD., secretary
Kevin Nicholson, board member
Malcolm Reid, board member

MEGA Mentors thanks these members for their years of commitment and support of CCPS students.

Upcoming Important Dates

URGENT: Please contact your MEGA school liaison ASAP if you are returning as a mentor this year.

Mentoring Start-up

October 1- 20

Training Dates

October 3, 2020
* New Mentor Orientation
* Platform-Producer & Facilitation Training
* Liaison Training

February 6, 2021
* New Mentor Orientation
* Platform-Producer & Facilitation Training

Membership Meeting

September/October (TBD)

MEGA needs committee members!

MEGA is also actively seeking volunteers for its committees:

1.	Communication & Marketing (social media, internal and external communication)

2.	Events (FABS, field trips, recognition event)

Finance

4.	Fundraising & Development

5.	Membership, Training & Recruiting

6.	Programs & Curriculum

7.	Technology (website, FABS tech support)

If you're interested in joining and aren't already a member, please fill out a membership application online at www.MEGAMentors.org. If you're already a member, please contact us at: membership@megamentors.org. If you have general questions, please email us at: info@megamentors.org.