A program that started last school year has undergone a name change to include more individuals who provide positive role models in the Greene County School District.

Responsible Adults Mentoring Students (RAMS), formerly known as Watch D.O.G.S. (Dads of Great Students), is a non-profit organization with the goal of having adults in the elementary and middle school buildings to provide positive role models and extra hands to help teachers with students. Co-organizer Reverend Devin Wolters says they wanted to make the name change so they could have as many adult volunteers as possible. He explains how the group came up with the new name. 

“Watch D.O.G.S is great, but that’s the big picture for the whole United States, what are we here about in Greene County? And as I started to look around, this county is a Rams county. No matter how you spin it, there is Rams going through our blood. And I said, ‘Well, wait a minute, let’s run with that.’ How do we take this Rams idea and expand it into this idea of being a role model for somebody.”

That’s how the Responsible Adults Mentoring Students was created. Jeff Cunningham, known as the Big Horn, talks about the time commitment for volunteers.

“This is not a big, formal commitment. It’s not a once a week, every single week of the year (commitment). This could be as little as half a day, if your schedule only allows for half a day throughout the school year, then that’s better than nothing. So whether you commit for half a day, or a full day, or ten days throughout the school year, we would love to have anyone that could commit to that time.”

The cost for any new volunteers is $24 for a t-shirt and a background check. However, Reverend Wolters says they are also looking for sponsorships to pay those costs, so the volunteers can focus on their commitment to the time with the students. To learn more about the program, contact Cunningham at 515-710-2222, or Wolters at 360-219-5020.