As COVID-19 restrictions lift in Washington, DC and the world slowly opens back up, Little Lights is thrilled to be able to create a safe space for our mentors and their mentees to reconnect in person. This month we hosted a group mentor outing at the Little Lights Retreat House in Anacostia, featuring fun outdoor games and food.
For some of our mentoring pairs, the group outing was the first opportunity they had to meet in person since the pandemic began. It was also the first in-person outing ever for one of our new matches, Ze’ta and Jeniece. For Teddi Beschel, Little Lights Mentor and College/Career Readiness Coordinator, the in-person group outing signaled the start of rebuilding the mentoring community again.
“One of my favorite things about the Little Lights mentoring program is how we try to foster a community within the program. We don’t just send matches out to do activities on their own,” Teddi shared. “We try to develop a sense of comradery and connection between the matches, mentors and mentees. During this pandemic, there has been a huge halt in all those community-based activities.”
During the group outing, mentors and mentees connected together while playing competitive matches of corn hole, Connect 4, and soccer. “It was so wonderful to see old and new matches play sports together and have fun,” Teddi shared. “I am really looking forward to seeing how this community can continue to grow and flourish in the next months and years.”
