MEGA Mentors Newsletter

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Summer 2021 Newsletter

MEGA leadership changes

MEGA leadership held its annual board meeting Aug. 26, 2021, which included voting in new officers and board members.

The following changes are in effect for MEGA leadership as of the annual meeting date:

President

Incoming: Ed Baine

Outgoing: Howard Corey

Vice President of Administration

Incoming: Verna Bradby

Outgoing: Ed Baine

Secretary

Incoming: Misha King

Outgoing: Verna Bradby

Legal Advisor

Incoming: Vacant

Outgoing: Derrick Thomas

New Board Members

Deborah Hillman

Tanya Ross

Tabitha Spurlock, Ph.D.

Laura Taylor, Ed.D.

Amanda Voelker, Ed.D.

Outgoing Board Members

Eddie Camp

Gwen Epps

Chuck Fontenot

Welcome to all new members, and a deep, heart-felt thank you to exiting members for their years of hard work and dedication.

MEGA successfully completes first summer program

MEGA launched its first summer mentoring program at the end of the 2020-21 school year. The 18 virtual sessions ran from June 29 to Aug. 3, with a total of 45 students enrolled from 28 CCPS elementary, middle and high schools.

"The Programs and Curriculum Committee volunteers worked long hours to pull together content for all three school levels," explained Greg Cummings, MEGA's Vice President of Programming and classroom mentor. "The middle school team even created a whole new theme and accompanying courses focused on financial literacy."

The elementary program assisted 3rd through 5th graders with learning to set goals while specifically helping them reach a goal of reading for 600 minutes. The reading content focused on MEGA’s core values of Achievement, Effort, Respect and Responsibility. The students received a hard copy of the book to encourage reading outside of the program.

The middle school program centered on life skills with a new theme “Making Money Work for You.” Students in 6th through 8th grade were introduced to financial literacy terms such as inflation, asset allocation and diversification. MEGA is also working with local banks to set up savings accounts for the students and provide them with a real-life financial experience.

The high school curriculum engaged 9th through 12th graders in conversations about conflict resolution and their role in creating social change. These sessions focused on understanding the importance of planning, decision-making and goal setting as keys to success.

MEGA student completes STEM summer camp

MEGA partnered with The Moore Legacy Foundation to offer students hands-on information technology experience at the Next Steps Educational Academy (NSED) STEM Camp as part of a pilot program over the summer. The program’s activities are designed to introduce IT as a viable career option to students.

MEGA mentee Savior Rentz, a junior at Thomas Dale High School, signed up and successfully completed the camp July 26 to Aug. 6.

NSED Academy STEM Camp is a day camp experience that centers IT fundamentals and knowledge of computer components as the basis for understanding computer networking, coding and cybersecurity.

Rentz said learning about the foundations of technology and computing was very impactful. “I managed to gain the knowledge I needed to build my own computer,” he said. “I’ve learned how to deal with errors in the motherboard, and how to adapt, improvise and overcome my obstacles.” Rentz was able to keep the computer he built after completing the camp.

After the successful summer pilot, MEGA will be expanding this program in the fall for its high school students.

“We’re so excited to open up this opportunity to our students,” said Mack Moore, MEGA’s treasurer. “We’re extremely grateful to The Moore Foundation for its partnership and look forward to positively shaping our students’ futures together.”

Visit the NSED Academy website for more information about this program.

Photo and story information courtesy of Dease Moore.

Schools mingle at Meet & Greet event

Carver Middle and Ecoff Elementary schools held a Meet & Greet event July 29 at the Grand Oaks apartment complex in Chester, Va.

The gathering was an opportunity for parents and students to meet the school administrators, teachers and support programs from their schools.

MEGA Mentors partnered with the Chester YMCA, CCPS and Grand Oaks management to organize the event.

"These events are taking place in an effort to ensure all parties involved in the education of our children know one another," said Howard Corey, MEGA's immediate past president. "It takes a village working together to raise a child."

MEGA Mentors volunteers, students, parents and faculty from Carver Middle and Ecoff Elementary schools mingle at the Meet & Greet event July 29, 2021 at the Grand Oaks apartment complex in Chester, Va. Courtesy photos.

MEGA featured in CEF monthly newsletters

The Chesterfield Education Foundation is featuring MEGA Mentors in the "Spotlight" section of its August-October newsletters.

Check out the August and future newsletters by visiting the News section of CEF's website.

Member Highlight

Congratulations to Greg Cummings, MEGA's Vice President of Programming, for being honored at the upcoming Chesterfield County Public Schools Hall of Fame Gala.

This annual gala will honor Cummings and 10 other CCPS volunteers, and proceeds from this event will benefit a local non-profit whose impact makes a difference in the lives of the students and families of Chesterfield County.

Learn more about the Hall of Fame Gala.

New Sponsor Highlight

Thank you to MEGA's newest corporate and individual sponsors! You are the backbone of our programs.

Titmus Foundation (June 2021)

See all sponsors on our website.

Join MEGA Mentors!

If you're not currently a MEGA member and would like to become a classroom mentor, join one of our committees or volunteer in another capacity, please fill out our membership application to get started.

Fill out the Membership Application

Note: To become a MEGA Mentor member, you must complete the membership application AND attend a New Member Orientation & Training session. If you have only completed one of these two requirements, you will be considered a Pending Member and cannot fully participate in certain activities, such as classroom mentoring. Note: the Annual Membership Meeting typically held in August/September does not qualify as new member training.

MEGA Mentors

13900 Hull Street Road

Midlothian, VA 23112

(804) 639-8774