ALLEN COUNTY, OH (WLIO) - Students from Lima City Schools go on a bowling field trip as part of the district's Sparty Friends mentorship program.
Two years ago, the school district's resource officers began the Sparty Friends program to bring students together. A group of West Middle Schoolers is partnered with students from Freedom, Heritage, Independence, and Unity elementary schools as their mentors during the school year. This year, local companies have begun to sponsor the Sparty Friends' events, with this month's sponsor being Westgate Entertainment Center. Mentors participating in the program spent a few hours of their school day bowling while building positive and impactful relationships with students from Freedom and Independence Elementary Schools.
"Our West Middle School kids get the opportunity to show that they have a positive impact on our little younger kids moving up and show that West Middle School is not a scary place and that they have something to look forward to. Our big kids at West Middle School could support our little kids at all the elementary schools, someone they have something in common with, maybe they have a sibling in common at the schools, something to build a foundation on." says Amanda Leugers, a resource officer for West Middle School.
Next Tuesday, Heritage and Unity Elementary students will join their West Sparty friends for a trip to the Toledo Zoo.
