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SBISD Community Event - January 2024 - View full photo gallery

On Wednesday, Jan. 31, SBISD hosted a community event focused on mentorship, conversation and relationship building. This event celebrated and recognized the 20th anniversary of SBISD’s SpringBoard Mentoring Program and National Mentoring Month!

The evening started with a reception to celebrate the hundreds of mentors who support SBISD students through the district’s mentoring programs.  SBISD Associate Superintendent for Communications and Community Engagement Linda Buchman thanked all mentors, campus mentor coordinators and staff both past and present who have made the SpringBoard Mentoring program possible for 20 years. Additionally, Buchman and SBISD Superintendent Dr. Jennifer Blaine honored a handful of mentor partners with a token of gratitude for their longtime and sustained support of SpringBoard. 

“I am beyond grateful to the thousands of amazing volunteers and dozens of community partners who have given of their time, wisdom and heart as mentors to inspire the minds and shape the lives of our students on the brink of success,” said Buchman. “Over the past twenty years, their caring and consistent commitment has encouraged students to thrive and to achieve success in school and in life. They affirm the Collective Greatness of our community is beyond compare! Here’s to 20 more amazing years of strong, nurturing impactful mentoring relationships in SBISD!”

During the reception, the Spring Branch Education Foundation (SBEF) announced the inception of a new Spring Branch ISD Mentoring Programs Scholarship Fund. The fund was established with a generous donation from Debra and Craig Aitken, in honor of SpringBoard’s 20th anniversary.  The scholarship will be available to students who have benefitted from a mentor, to help them realize their T-2-4 dreams. To launch the scholarship fund, Cece Thompson and Debra Aitken presented a check for $2,000. 

Following the mentor reception, an audience of over 200 parents, students, staff and community members joined the mentors to hear renowned educational speaker Aric Bostick present a powerful message titled, “The Power of Showing Up: The Art of Building Unbreakable Bonds.” The program opened with a short video about the start of SBISD’s SpringBoard Mentoring Program, voiced by Buchman and SBEF Executive Director CeCe Thompson. The video reminded attendees that, regardless of whether you are a SpringBoard mentor, a family member, a teacher, or a friend, we are all mentors!

Celebrating 20 Years of the SpringBoard Program from SBISD

Bostick’s key points touched on why relationships between kids and adults can be so hard, the importance of children feeling seen, understood, and supported, strategies to improve relationships that lead to unbreakable bonds and skills to be fully present in a fast-paced world.

“Aric Bostick really has a way to engage the audience and was able to resonate with the mentors and families at the event,” said Christopher Marroquin, SBISD Community Engagment Facilitator and SBISD parent. “Personally, as a mentor and parent, I was able to get so much out of his presentation that I will be able to reflect on and use as I continue building relationships and raising my son.” 

SBISD is proud to celebrate the SBISD Power of Two during National Mentoring Month. Thank you, Mentors!

Celebrating the Power of Two from SBISD

Thank you to the Spring Branch Education Foundation, whose generous support made this event possible.

Thank you also to the Guthrie Center Culinary Arts students for preparing and providing light refreshments, the Stratford High School Orchestra for performing, as well as the Spring Woods High and Westwood Elementary cheer teams for welcoming guests to the event.