UW-Green Bay college mentors share center stage with Phuture Phoenix

The Phuture Phoenix fifth-graders tend to steal the show on campus each year. After all, it’s hard to resist those wide-toothed grins and enthusiastic expressions. But for the 1,000-plus visitors, it’s the UW-Green Bay mentors that are larger than life.

This year 282 UW-Green Bay students — the majority of them future teachers — volunteered to serve as hosts, mentors and role models for the fifth-graders during Phuture Phoenix Day activities. In fact, once the charm of the campus visit wears off, it’s the follow-up by the UW-Green Bay students that keep the youngsters reminded what it takes to stay on the path toward a college education.

The mentors provide continued contact and additional mentorship during the middle and high school years, tutoring more than 900 students annually throughout Brown County. Tutoring in schools is aimed at raising student attendance, improving academic success and increasing high school graduation rates for at-risk students.

The award-winning Phuture Phoenix program has benefited nearly 7,500 fifth-graders at 13 Green Bay elementary schools and nine other school districts since its inception in 2003. And soon those students will be eligible for scholarships to attend UW-Green Bay.

Nearly 100 UW-Green Bay faculty and staff, and a number of community advocates, also devoted much of their time to the annual two-day on-campus event.

Campus photographer Eric Miller and student photographer Adam Koenig trailed the activity this week.

Click thumbnails to enter slideshow view.