As a barn mentor, You are quite literally changing lives

GaitWay

Barn Mentors

For adult women to build authentic and organic relationships with GaitWay Dream Makers (teen girls ages 13-19) where you love, guide, and support them in their life as a whole. Our program is NOT just a horsemanship program, it’s a life skills program. Things we help our mentees with include, but are not limited to, building healthy relationships (with friends, parents, extended family, employers, teachers etc), self-esteem, confidence, limiting beliefs, courage, work ethic, and school and/or employment concerns/issues/fears.

GaitWay Dream Makers Graduation Celebration

The Details and Benefits of a Barn Mentor

GaitWay Dream Makers - Responsibility

How do we do this?

Working shoulder-to-shoulder with the girls while they do their ranch chores, listening, and generally just being a loving and supportive presence in their lives, which builds trust over time. Once the trust is built, they start to open up and you can gently guide and support them in their lives.

Fulfillment

You are quite literally changing lives with this position.  This role not only enriches your life but also positively impacts those around you! Mentorship can lead to personal growth as you learn to communicate effectively, inspire others, and work together as a team.

GaitWay Dream Makers - Teamwork & Communication
GaitWay Dream Makers - Perseverance & Grit

Peace and Tranquility

Our ranch is an oasis, and you get to experience it every week. You’ll hear girls say “It feels like home.” One main reason is that spending time outdoors with horses can reduce stress, enhance your mood, and connect you to the rhythms of nature.

Learn / Connect / Unwind

You’ll build meaningful relationships with other heart-centered women who share your passion for horses, nature and teen girls, fostering a sense of community. Helping others develop their skills and confidence with horses can be incredibly rewarding, providing a sense of purpose and fulfillment.

GaitWay Dream Makers - Work Ethic & Discipline
GaitWay Dream Makers - Confidence & Self Esteem

Requirements

  • Must be a woman, 25-years or older.
  • Six month commitment.
  • 2-hour shift once per week.  Either 4-6pm or 6-8pm.
  • Pass a criminal background check.
  • Follow all GaitWay rules and regulations.
  • Have a heart of service.

Our Barn Mentor program begins every six month.  To apply for an interview, please fill out the Barn Mentor application at the following link.  If you have questions, email Pam Compton at volunteer@gaitwayinc.org.

Click the link for our Barn Mentor application via Google Forms.  We would love to connect with you and see how you can help the GaitWay program grow.

The Barn Mentor Program is rooted

In Our Core Values

In November of 2023, we  gather our current dream makers together.  These girls ranged from 14-17 and had been in the program from anywhere between 12 months to 4 years.  We asked them, at the core, aside from learning and growing about ranch life, what’s most important to you? After some thought provoking conversations, they came up with a list of values they felt everyone involved in GaitWay should have, and we agree!  Our COURE VALUES are Kindness, Caring, Honesty, Patience, Positivity, Respect, Dedication, Discipline, Work Ethic, and of course Fun 🙂

Our Core Values

Kindness

To be kind is to be considerate, compassionate, and have empathy for others. Whether we are being kind to humans or horses, this is our baseline value. We lead with kindness in all situations.

Caring

You can, and should, be kind to all beings. But you can be kind without caring about someone else. To be caring you must have a genuine concern for someone. Caring for others builds trust, intimacy, and strong, valuable relationships. Caring takes kindness to the next level.

Honesty

For us, honesty is not simply about telling the truth (although that is very important), it’s about being true to who you are. Being honest with yourself and others about what you want, how you feel, and what you need to be the best version of yourself.

Patience

The definition of patience is the ability or willingness to suppress restlessness or annoyance when confronted with delay. Whether the delay in question is with yourself, another person, or a horse, the ability to patiently wait for your desired outcome is a skill that will take you far. Patience creates an environment where strong, healthy, long-lasting relationships are cultivated.

Positivity

Having a positive mindset has numerous benefits for the brain and body like stress management, which improves your physical and mental health. It also combats feelings of inadequacy and low self-esteem. Positive thinking does not mean avoiding difficult situations. Instead, it means making the most of potential obstacles.

Respect

To respect means to recognize the worth of a person or thing. To respect someone or something is to consider them worthy of high regard. As all living beings are worthy of high regard, this is a value that we use multi directionally. We respect the horses and our peers just the same as we respect our leaders and those we have the pleasure of leading.

Dedication

Dedication is the willingness to give a lot of time and energy to something because it is important to you. Dedication is devoting yourself to what you love and doing it with passion and enthusiasm.

Discipline

Discipline is on the opposite side of the coin from dedication. Discipline is working in a controlled and habitual way. Where dedication is doing the things you like and doing them well, discipline is doing the things you don’t like and still doing them well.

Work Ethic

Work ethic is the principle that hard work is intrinsically virtuous and worthy of reward. Strong work ethic means you take pride in your job and see every task you do as important, no matter how big or small.

Fun

While we very much believe in working hard, we also believe you can work hard AND have fun. You can create a fun atmosphere regardless of the work you are doing, and cultivating fun as a skill will help you get through the most mundane and difficult things with grace.

Check out “A Horse’s Tale”.  Our Adventures and stories from the ranch and more.

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Stay in the Loop

Thank you for your interest and support in GaitWay.  2024 is looking to be a year of growth and new things for girls, the program and the staff.  Connect with us so you can stay in the loop with all the amazing and fun things that are going to happen!

In the Loop