Each semester, high school students take an hour out of their busy schedules to help younger students learn and assist teachers with their many daily tasks. This program, known as A+, is very common in the Fair Grove school district as many students take part in this program during either the fall or spring semester, or early summer as the district offers summer school courses.

So what are the benefits for the juniors and seniors in this program? The A+ handbook that can be found on the school’s website, states, “This program provides scholarship funds to eligible graduates of A+ designed high schools who attend a participating public community college or vocational/technical school, or certain private two-year vocational/technical schools.” The students can receive scholarships and get a glimpse of the daily life of a teacher as they assist students in a classroom setting. This program is designed to help prepare students for future careers in the education system and teach them what community service looks like.

Travis Beach, a previous mentor in the A+ program, helped out students between the ages of four and five in a preschool classroom during the fall semester. Some of his many tasks included helping the students understand lessons and ensuring that they were having fun. Beach said, “This experience helped show me what it was like being around younger kids and what age students I wanted to help in the future.” Beach mentioned that he really enjoyed just being around the kids and seeing how they functioned and viewed ordinary things.

In order for students to be certified as an A+ student, they must meet several qualifications. A few of these qualifications include graduating with a combined grade point average of 2.5 or greater on a 4.0 scale, having at least a 95% attendance record overall for grades 9-12, and performing at least 50 hours of unpaid tutoring or mentoring. The complete list can be found under the tab HS A+ Handbook on the Fair Grove District website.

Jenny Talbert, an advisor of the A+ program, shared, “I want our students to learn how to be positive role models for younger kids and teach them how to become students.” Many students have taken advantage of this program and used the scholarships provided as they moved on to college and many use the knowledge gained from this experience as they enter the classrooms again, this time as teachers.