The TeamMates Mentoring Program hosted its annual conference July 8-9 on the Nebraska Innovation Campus in Lincoln. Founded by Tom and Nancy Osborne, TeamMates is a mentoring program in partnership with local schools that pairs adult mentors with youth in grades 4-12. The theme of the 2026 conference was “The Heart of Mentoring”, and the TeamMates website explains the idea behind the theme.

“This theme represents the core of why mentoring matters. It is the place where relationships begin, trust is built, and lives are positively impacted. Mentoring is not transactional; it is relational. At its heart, mentoring is showing up, listening, and believing in a young person’s potential even when they may not yet see it themselves.”

During the conference, TeamMates recognized one chapter from each of the nine regions encompassing six states. The Callaway chapter was honored to be named the 2025-2026 Regional Chapter of the year for the North Central Region.

Callaway’s chapter has added a total of 22 new matches in the 2025-26 school year. Over the course of the past five years, the chapter has gone from 32 matches to 51 matches. That means this small community serves about 30 percent of the kids who attend Callaway Public Schools.

TeamMates recognized Callaway’s efforts in allowing elementary students into the chapter as well, when previously it was offered to only junior and senior high students. Obviously, bringing in the younger students created a higher demand for mentors, and Callaway has answered the call.

The award cited three specific areas in which Callaway excelled. Chapter growth was the first area, and school and community support was the second. Special recognition was given to the school’s administrative staff and teachers for volunteering as mentors and board members. “Your creativity to engage mentors and mentees in the program, such as muffins with mentors, and having your students nominate mentors in your community is inventive and effective in making TeamMates so prominent in Callaway,” said North Central Regional Coordinator Tiffany Nicolaus. “Increasing your visibility has certainly paid off.”

The third area outlined in the award was engagement of chapter leadership. The Callaway chapter received kudos for strong communication with the national office and for attendance at the annual conference and regional meetings. The chapter was also applauded for adapting and growing during challenges and changes, as well as the leadership set by the chapter coordinator, Karen Weverka.

 “It is a really great honor that highlights the hard work of Karen Weverka and the commitment of our community to supporting the students in our school,” said a proud J.D. Furrow, Callaway Public Schools Superintendent.

More information will be coming in the next few weeks about how you can get involved in the local TeamMates chapter this fall.