After preparing for months, the Elizabethton community is at last getting ready to start its mentorship program, announcing the date for when potential participants can begin their training.

Carter County Drug Prevention Director Jilian Reece said Elizabethton Parks and Recreation will host its first, required mentorship training session on January 4.

“[The city] hired a coordinator, and we are gathering all the policies in place,” Reece said.

Those interested have the ability to meet with a student in the school system on a regular basis, giving them support in the form of companionship or whatever they need.

“Sometimes people use sports practice for their meetings, while sometimes they visit during their lunch,” she said.

She said it has been “really cool” to see everything come together since they received their own training.

“A lot of planning went into this,” she said. “It is wild to think this is actually happening.”

The training will take three hours, and it is completely mandatory for anyone interested in being a mentor to a child.

“There is a misconception that everybody can do this, that is, does not need the training,” Reece said.

That said, Reece encouraged anyone who is interested to attend the free training.

“We will give them the tools to be with a kid once a week,” she said.

Mentors and students are not paired randomly, she said. Each will fill out an application describing what they can manage and what they are looking for, and the program will determine who the best fits are. In fact, the training does not mean everyone there will receive a placement that very day. They may end up on a waiting list.

“We want to find the best matches we can,” Reece said.

Those part of the program after this initial training will also have to participate in smaller training sessions throughout the year.

“This is not a replacement for parents,” she said. “This is just an extra, caring adult.”

She also said the program does not focus on one, particular demographic, either. Any student who is interested can be part of the program.

“It is about getting rid of that stigma,” Reece said. “It is for anybody.”

Those interested in participating can attend the training on January 4 to see if they can be a mentor.