Jenessa grew up in Madera, CA and then went on to UC Davis for her BS and University of the Pacific for an MA in Instruction and Curriculum. But where she really learned the most is during her three years in Memphis, TN as a 1st-grade teacher in the Orange Mound Community. God used the difficulties of the job, relationships with the community, and the distance from all familiarity to humble, break, and remold her heart and life. Since returning to the Central Valley in 2016, she is passionate about supporting teachers, students, and parents in pursuing an equitable and excellent education for all. Jenessa married her college sweetheart, Kushmin, in March 2022 and their daughter Ariadne was born a year later. Together they love to try new foods, take their dog Hera on walks, and go on adventures with friends.
When we embarked on this semester, I had an idea of how Literacy Mentoring might work virtually, but honestly, I was skeptical. However as the first semester came to a close, floods of sweet stories came pouring in. The overall theme is relationships. Literacy Mentoring 2020: light on the literacy, double dose of mentoring.
We want to support those of you who are trying to navigate a new “homeschool” reality, while still juggling work and all of your other responsibilities…bless your heart. Whew.
Below are some of the most useful reading websites and resources we’ve found, feel free to share!
Hoping we all come out of this a little more well-read 🙂
Hi, Jenessa Hefler from ENP here! Coming to you virtually from my very yellow kitchen. I hope you all are staying safe and connected in these unprecedented times. In light of our schools being closed and many parents and kids at home trying to navigate a new homeschool life, we wanted to make our Literacy Mentor (LM) materials free and easily accessible to you.
ENP was birthed out of a church-school partnership which is why most people only know of ENP through church connections. But did you know that ENP also has the unique opportunity to impact our next generation of leaders through partnerships with Fresno State and Fresno City? Getting our college students involved on local elementary school campuses not only furthers our elementary students’ growth, but it also impacts the future careers, hearts, and direction of our young adult leaders.
Every Neighborhood Partnership is partnering with the Luis Palau National group to create a six-month series that describes our work in the city. Below is the fourth post in the series from our Literacy Mentor Director, Jenessa Hefler.
Last month, Brian Semsem broke down fun and play, ENP’s recreation and resilience building programs. This month we will look at literacy and a child’s pathway to success. Our goal to see every 3rd Grader reading at grade level.
One of my favorite things about my job is getting to visit all of the wonderful Literacy Mentors we work with! We currently have 115 Literacy Mentors at 12 schools working with nearly 400 students across Fresno and Clovis. And with two scheduled Orientations in the next week, those numbers will continue to grow! However, what excites me much more than numbers is the investment and relationships of each individual mentor. Every day I hear an inspiring story. Here are just a few of my favorite success stories…
