Abbey Students Mentor Local Schoolchildren

For the 26th consecutive year, Portsmouth Abbey students have been providing a special mentoring program, called Teens Leading Children (TLC), to fourth-grade students at St. Philomena School, a local elementary school. Former faculty member Nancy Weida co-wrote the original curriculum, which Abbey students use to lead activities and discussions with the younger students about self-esteem, decision making, peer pressure, and avoiding dangerous situations as well as the use of drugs and alcohol. New to the curriculum this year was the topic of cyber-bullying.

Beginning with a training session, Abbey students volunteer their time during the Spring Term to lead four classroom sessions at St. Phil's. The fourth graders work hard to complete all of their tasks in order to earn a pizza lunch with their Abbey teachers.

A number of Abbey students who lead the TLC program participated in the program as fourth graders at St. Phil's. This year, Maggie Stark '15, Alex Savoie '15, Fiona Conway '15 and Natalie Mistikawy '15, all St. Phil's graduates, helped lead the program.

View photos of this year's Teens Leading Children Program.