Photo By Kristen Wong | Crystal Croone (right), a Smithfield, Va. native; and Adriana Hahn, a Castro Valley,...... read more read more
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The Lifestyles, Insights, Networking, Knowledge & Skills class aboard Marine Corps Base Hawaii is currently recruiting volunteer mentors to help teach various topics about military life and Marine Corps culture.
Marine Corps Family Team Building, which is part of Marine Corps Community Services Hawaii, offers L.I.N.K.S. classes to service members, spouses, teens and children, giving them an overview of military information, from deployments to permanent changes of station, as well as information about the Corps.
Susan Gadd, the L.I.N.K.S. trainer at MCB Hawaii, said the majority of her mentors have PCSd, and she is seeking more. Military spouses are primarily encouraged to be mentors, said Gadd, of San Antonio, because the foundation of L.I.N.K.S. is based on spouses teaching spouses.
“(Mentors gain) the satisfaction of knowing that they’re supporting the military community, that they’re giving back, (and) being a good role model for the younger spouses (who) are just coming into this environment,” Gadd said.
Mentors can be flexible with their commitment to L.I.N.K.S., volunteering as often as they wish. In addition, Gadd said being a volunteer mentor is a good way for spouses to keep their resume active, as sometimes, finding a job at every duty station can be a challenge. Mentors receive two certificates: one for completing L.I.N.K.S. training and the other listing their total recorded volunteer hours, the latter of which is presented at the base’s annual volunteer ceremony.
Those interested in becoming mentors are strongly encouraged to first attend a L.I.N.K.S. class. Volunteer mentors undergo one day of training, which includes material from Headquarters Marine Corps. From there, they work with Gadd to decide which topic they feel best suits them.
Mentor meetings are generally held every two months, in which Gadd will work with the mentors on perfecting their teaching skills or knowledge of a specific topic. However, teaching a L.I.N.K.S. class does not mean mentors must lecture students.
“Most of the time if you’re trying to force someone into a mold they’re not going to come across well to their audience,” Gadd said. “However they’re comfortable teaching, whether it’s facilitating a game or acting out a skit or showing a movie clip, is how I try to work with them. Headquarters Marine Corps gives us a certain criteria that they want conveyed during the class but then we also take the latitude to kind of mold it to where it fits that mentor’s needs (and) abilities.”
Gadd recalled one of her volunteer mentors being so nervous about teaching that she memorized her material and felt very uncomfortable in front of the class. Gadd said she worked with the mentor and found that by incorporating a “Jeopardy” game into the class, and the mentor was able to convey her message, the class learned and both enjoyed themselves.
Audience participation plays a big role in teaching for Chantal Labrie, a current L.I.N.K.S. mentor at MCB Hawaii, who primarily teaches “The Maze” portion. During “The Maze,” attendees learn what resources are available to families on base by matching their names with their definitions on orange and yellow cards.
Labrie, an Ottawa, Canada native, and Marine Corps spouse, learned about L.I.N.K.S. through the 2013 Empowered Spouses Event hosted on base. Having previously lived on an Army base, Labrie said she took a class that was the Army’s version of L.I.N.K.S.
“Right after I took my first class I knew it was something that I would love to get involved with,” Labrie said. “I was looking for a way of giving back to the community and to me L.I.N.K.S. was a way of not only learning and continuing to learn but also helping others to adjust and learn more about (the base), Hawaii and the Marine Corps.”
She described the mentor training as “hands on,” which helped her feel confident enough to teach the classes. She said she has made friends being a volunteer mentor and learned a great deal.
“Every day I am learning something new,” Labrie said. “I am able to tell my husband and other friends about services when they have had a need. (Being a mentor is) definitely something you won’t regret.”
The next L.I.N.K.S. for Spouses class is scheduled for Sept. 15 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. For more information about L.I.N.K.S., call 257-2657.
| Date Taken: | 08.19.2015 |
| Date Posted: | 08.25.2015 15:21 |
| Story ID: | 173676 |
| Location: | MARINE CORPS BASE HAWAII , HI, US |
| Web Views: | 25 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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