Team Members Kayla Marie Gonzalez Founder/Administrator Hi! I’m Kayla, and I love studying sciences! I'm 18, and currently taking a Freshman at John Jay College of Criminal Justice. I'm into writing, acting, fantasy movies/books, spending time with my friends, and purple. I also have two turtles! I'm an introvert at first that gets more quirky as you get to know me! I am so excited about the interest we've gotten in this program, and look forward to meeting everyone! Ceyeanna Evelyn Mentor Hi, my name is Cyeanna Evelyn but I also go by Cece. I am 16 and a junior at the Young Women’s Leadership School of Queens. My birthday is November 16th, my favorite color is blue (all shades). I love the fast and furious movies, I have watched them too many times to count. I am a varsity track and field captain, but I love all sports and can play almost all of them. I have a very big personality and I am very funny. Flor Lopez Noriega Mentor Flor is a high school girl in this world that loves anything, except raw onions. Flor is good at sports, art projects and most of all talking. Her goal in life is to become a pilot, since the sky's the limit. She has a big family, so she knows what it is to live with multiple brothers and sisters. You can talk to her about anything. Tiffany Luis Mentor Hi my name is Tiffany, you could call me Tiffy I am 14 years old I'm in high school, I am a May Taurus I love to cook and listen to music. I am a go-with-the-flow person. I am very uplifting and outgoing, I'm always interested in trying something new. I have a certification in peer mediation. I am excited to be here and I hope as your Mentor you can learn more about me and you.And this will forever be a safe space Mansura Taiyebah Mentor Mansura is a high school junior currently navigating under a transition from high school to college. She enjoys all her classes, especially her science classes where she is preparing for a career in the medical field. Born in Dhaka, Bangladesh, Mansura came to New York at age 2 where she was raised in the bustling city of New York in the heart of Queens. As she juggles her school work, and extracurriculars, she runs her own tutoring business and loves working with children and telling them stories! Mansura is very excited to share her knowledge and insights with her aspiring mentees. She is committed to help her mentees build their social and emotional skills, confidence, and encourage them to advocate for themselves. Shia Fernandes Mentor Hi my name is Shia Fernandes and I’m 15 years old. I attend the high school IHPCH in Queens, for short, and I’m currently in the tenth grade. I enjoy listening to music from a range of artists and genres, spending time with friends and family, and in general engaging in activities that I find relaxing and beneficial to bettering myself as a person. Shamrina Lavonno Mentor Hi! My name is Shamrina Lavonno. I'm a junior (11th grade) at The Young Women's Leadership School in Queens, an all girls school, and I am 17 years old. I enjoy working and learning with kids, as I grew up with many younger cousins. I also have tutored younger kids at an afterschool program, and currently I'm tutoring kids under 10 at a Kumon. I'm a 1st generation, eldest daughter in my family.

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MY INSPIRATION My name is Kayla Marie Gonzalez. I have lived with Epilepsy all my life. Epilepsy is a neurological condition that causes seizures and other daily side effects. Because of the risks and how it impacts my everyday activities, I had a 504 plan and accommodations at school. I needed to take breaks, unlike my classmates; I missed a lot more school; and my daily routines and freedoms were very different from theirs. I never knew many people with similar conditions, which was isolating. Throughout my life, especially when I was younger, I constantly questioned, "Why me?", "What's wrong with me?", "Am I the only one?" It was hard to deal with the feeling that others wouldn't understand where I was coming from, how I felt, or what I talked about. While people were supportive, there was nothing in place to address my feelings. I wasn't sure if any other students felt the same way. Over the years, I learned that this is a common feeling for kids with conditions that affect their everyday lives. As an Ambassador Girl Scout, I was given the opportunity to create a community outreach project. One of the first issues I thought of was the underrepresentation of disabled children and the lack of services for them. The feeling I remembered so vividly gave me the perfect outline. I wanted to create a mentorship program for children with conditions. Our mentees will join a community of kids who understand each other's frustrations. Through mentorship, they'll learn positive framing and self-esteem skills while also gaining a friend they can ask for advice, vent to, play games with, or whatever they see fit! And while primarily meant for the mentees, this will be a mutually beneficial program. It will give the mentors a chance to better understand the community of people with conditions, combat ignorance on the subject, and help them become more understanding individuals.

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FAQs What's going on right now? We're currently on hiatus! For more news join our newsletter, and you'll be the first to know when the next cohort starts. We are currently recruiting administration volunteers so everything runs smoothly! What are your fees? Our program is completely free! Who is Eligible to become a mentor? Anyone aged 14 to 19 can apply to be a mentor. Mentorship is not guaranteed based on application, and mentees. Who is Eligible to become a mentee? Anyone 9 to 13 years old with a chronic condition and/or disability can apply (parents can also apply for their children) to become a mentee How long is the program? Approximately 3 months. Can I get community service hours for participation? Yes! Should you need signatures or references we could set that up more specifically. Have your own question? We'll get back to you as soon as possible! Email Subject Your message Send Thanks for submitting!

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Uplift Mentoring is a virtual mentoring program for disabled children. it is primarily located in the NYC area. Welcome to Uplift Mentoring Nurturing Hearts, Building Bonds: Where Social and Emotional Learning meets Inclusive Connections for Every Child's Bright Tomorrow At Uplift Mentoring NYC, we offer a unique and innovative mentoring program designed specifically for children with disabilities. Our program is run by a team of dedicated, compassionate teen mentors who have a passion for helping others. I created this startup program as someone with disabilities. We fully understand the challenges that children with disabilities face every day. We are committed to helping our mentees acquire important social and emotional skills, build confidence, and advocate for themselves. Our program creates a safe and supportive community where children with disabilities can thrive. Our 9 through 13 year old mentees, are paired with high school age mentors. For a minority of kids it gives them others to relate to as well as a person to look up to in a casual setting where they can feel comfortable and supported while learning positive social emotional skills. Our volunteer mentors go through trainings in Social Emotional Learning, mentoring in general, mentoring children, adapting for individual children's needs, empathy (versus sympathy), and emotional sensitivity. Should a mentee need particular accommodations an additional training is scheduled for the mentor to learn about their mentee's disability, needed accommodations, and adapting the curriculum. Winner of GSGNY Gold Award 2023 For accessibility the program will be running primarily virtual. Mentees should be able to meet with their mentors once a week, virtually. It is very flexible. During the application process mentors and mentees both indicate what days are best for them so mentors will be matched with mentees available on the same days, and we decide from there what would be best for that pair. There are only two events scheduled in-person. The first being the meet and greet with the entire cohort. This is definitely not mandatory, but if the mentee is able to it is highly encouraged! Details are shared closer to dates upon acceptation into the program. Mentees Gain Social Emotional Skills Mentees will complete a curriculum of activities meant to build a growth and positivity mindset, with a focus on mindfulness, coping skills, self care, self esteem and focusing on things one can control rather than worrying about what is our of their control. Advocacy Skills Through meeting with their mentors, mentees will learn how to articulate how they're feeling, and ask for what they need. This is a life skill their mentors will support that will help them in school and beyond. A community of kids with similar struggles to lean on Having a chronic condition at any age can be an isolating feeling. Being apart of a cohort that includes other children with conditions we combat this isolated feeling helping mentees feel more positive. Support systems help one feel more understood A greater sense of self For our end of year project mentors will help mentees create a biography about their condition, how it affects them, how they are separate from their condition (ie “my condition does not define me”) and what they hope for in their future. Mentees will be learning how to view themselves in a positive light. Holistic Approach Compassion Uplift Mentoring was founded as a Gold Award Project, and we are proud to continue our mission of supporting children with disabilities. Advisors to the creation of our program include hospital Child Life Staff, Guidance Counselors, and Social Workers. Our unique program pairs mentees with teen Mentors to create powerful connections that foster growth, independence, and self-advocacy. As the founder, I bring my own experience with disabilities to the table, creating a space where everyone feels heard, seen, and valued.

GOALS Create a sense of community between youth who face similar issues Inspire them to embrace life’s challenges, and let them know they are not alone in their struggles. Create lasting mentorships to help mentees through transitions Guidance & Inspiration Foster social emotional learning skills and coping strategies Being able to cope on their own, and personally advocate to help them get the Most out of Life Prior to the start of meetings with their mentor, mentees will be able to design what they want their typical mentor meetings to look like (whether that be having someone to vent with, ask advice about the high school process (typically for middle school aged mentees), help with homework, play a game, etc) so they can be matched with their ideal mentor. Mentors (who may be abled or disabled) will be trained prior to meeting with their mentees on common issues youth with conditions face, how to interact with younger children, and how to steer conversations more positively and productively to avoid self depreciation, and improve the mentee's sense of self. As a cumulative project for the end of this year's program, mentors will help mentees create a biography about their condition, how it affects them, how they are separate from their condition (ie “my condition does not define me”) and what they hope for in their future. Mentors can space this out however they see fit as long as it is done by the end of the program. Length will vary from pair to pair, and is not the most important part. Quality over quantity. A permission slip to be signed by parents (stating that any sharing will be for educational purposes) will be created as far as sharing mentee information (on social media, with schools, etc). Should any parents feel uncomfortable they will have the option of having their child's project shared anonymously (without name and/or picture), or not having it shared on socials at all. At the end mentors and mentees will also fill out a form about their experience so I can evaluate what they’ve personally gained.

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