Our Assistant Program Director, Lisa Singletary, former Horizons and RCSD teacher and current Warner School of Education PhD student, spearheads our Critical Friends Mentoring Program. Teenage students who have graduated from Horizons and are entering our Teacher Assistants in Training (TAIT) program are connected with mentors in the Rochester community.

The Critical Friends Mentoring Program is committed to empowering Rochester City high school students to successfully transition to high school, graduate, and attain admission into college or a skilled training program.

Every Horizons at Warner graduate is matched with an adult mentor to provide meaningful encouragement, support, and guidance throughout high school,  in order to give them a path to graduating on time and developing future goals. Mentors and mentees are in contact via text, email or phone at least once a week and we host three Critical Friends mentoring events three times a year.

As a non-profit organization we benefit from the support of our advisory board, donors, partners, and friends in the Rochester Community. There are numerous opportunities throughout the year to volunteer at Horizons at Warner events, in group educational settings, and through the various programs we provide.

Key events include our annual Family Kick-off Dinner in June, where we provide dinner for our families, T-shirts and books to our students, and come together to celebrate the beginning of summer as a program.

During the 30-day program, volunteers are always needed in our theme groups and workshops that alternate each afternoon in which children are educated in self-chosen research topics and skills. For example, one of our Horizons Advisory board members volunteers twice per week for our Crocheting workshop, where students are able to learn to crochet an item of their choice, such as purses, scarves, or gloves.

Our Teacher Assistants in Training program is in need of volunteers from the community to present on relevant job and life skills, ranging from resume building, advice on securing letters of recommendation, applying to colleges and job positions, and much more, in accordance with their workforce preparation curriculum. This could be teachers, lawyers, entrepreneurs and more!

Making a real difference…

Behind every under-resourced child who improves his or her reading and math skills, learns to swim, gains confidence, and discovers a whole new world of possibility through Horizons, there’s someone like you who has made it possible.

Birthdays, anniversaries, and in memoriam. If you would like to donate in memory of a loved one’s birthday, a special anniversary, or a loss of someone important to you, please contact Julia Postler, who will take the utmost care in dedicating your funds properly and ensuring that they are used to strengthen the Horizons at Warner program experience.

Here are some of the ways we put gifts to work…