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Andrea Allen urges community to mentor students in Carrollton-Farmers Branch ISD
Summary
Andrea Allen, founder of Connecting the Community, described a mentor program that began at Holy Covenant Church, became a nonprofit in early 2020, and matches volunteers with campuses in Carrollton-Farmers Branch ISD for 20-minute weekly mentoring sessions.
Andrea Allen, founder of the nonprofit Connecting the Community, urged residents to volunteer as mentors in Carrollton-Farmers Branch ISD, saying the program pairs community members with campuses for brief, regular visits.
Allen introduced herself and the program: "Hi, I'm Andrea Allen, founder of Connecting the Community." She said the effort began at Holy Covenant Church on Pierce Colony with a mission to reach students within "a 1 mile radius of the school" before transitioning into a formal nonprofit at the beginning of 2020.
The program's volunteer model is deliberately short and local. "As a mentor, you are assigned to a campus of your choosing and you show up for 20 minutes each week," Allen said, arguing that the brief weekly commitment can help mentors form meaningful connections with students.
Allen emphasized that volunteers need not have a child in the district to participate. "A lot of people don't know that they can just go to a school if they don't have a student present to volunteer and give their time," she said, framing the program as broadly accessible.
She described the partnership as a coordinated effort: "What makes this partnership special is that it takes everybody to run it, from the district to the principal to the counselor to the teacher to the student to the community member." Allen said the shared stake in students' well-being is central to the program's approach.
Allen also cited local ties: she said she is an alum of CFB and named the campuses she attended to underscore her connection to the community.
The presentation ended with a direct appeal for collaboration: "Together, CFB and Connecting the Community can do more for students," Allen said, urging listeners to consider volunteering through the nonprofit.
