Ignition program ignites future leaders at Lawton elementary school

On any given day, you can find mentors at Eisenhower Elementary School giving back to the younger students.

The Eisenhower High School Ignition class is a student-led program by juniors and seniors. They welcome incoming freshmen by mentoring them, helping them adjust to the high school environment, and starting their high school journey on a positive note. This year, class members wanted to extend this by providing a service learning project, connecting high school students with elementary buddies.

The group’s focus was to tutor kindergarten, first, third, and fourth grade students. Every Monday and Wednesday, mentors walk over to the elementary and are paired in small groups within each class. The mentors help students with reading, writing, math, or science.

“I love seeing the excitement the mentors have when we go see the little ones,” said EHS mentorship teacher Sheila Maxson. “They always have a smile on their faces on those days, and when we leave, they always have a story to tell me about the student they worked with.”

Senior mentor Taelor Smith reflects on what it means to serve as a mentor to the elementary students.

“I like connecting with the younger kids,” Smith said. “It reminds me of when I was that age, when I looked up to high schoolers so much. I want to be that role model they can count on.”

Smith and the other mentors also have developed a new appreciation for how much the elementary teachers do. Managing a class of 25–30 young students is not as easy as they thought.

“It makes me extremely proud to see these juniors and seniors step up and want to help the younger generation of future Eagles,” Maxson said.

This service project is so much more to Eisenhower Elementary principal Charity Williams. The elementary students love working with the EHS mentors and they, too, look forward to seeing them every week.

“The partnership is remarkable, because it is a known fact that younger students look up to older students,” Williams said. “Sometimes, those older students have more influence on bringing out desired behaviors in our students, and we appreciate the influence and motivation they ignite in our students.”

The staff is also thrilled to spend time watching the relationships blossom.

“By creating these connections we hope to build a strong bond with the children and help improve their self-esteem and academic skills,” Smith said. “Honestly, it also provides a great sense of community, which is really important, especially at such a young age.”

I am personally grateful that EHS students don’t mind taking their time out to be with (our) students,” Williams said. “We are seeing positive results.”