Zuza Bohley has a mission--to give Boulder Valley middle school students a new springboard, to kindle passion in an interest they can transfer to other areas of their life. She works with an organization called the Community Access Mentoring Program-CAM, more informally known as Cool Afternoon Moves. The program is partially sponsored by the Boulder Valley School District (BVSD) and is housed in the middle schools. The basis for the program is to connect an interested student with a non-teacher, non-parent mentor. They get together once a week, get to know each other, and decide on what activity they'd like to pursue. The mentors have created quite a list of possibilities.

Bohley was one of the first CAM volunteers, attracted to this project because she believes so strongly in "bringing people together and creating a more caring and sharing community." She wants to encourage "kids' deepest dreams and show them they don't have to go it alone." Any students may be nominated to participate by a parent, teacher, or themselves. There are no restrictions.

Bohley has been active in several volunteer organizations in Boulder, offering her skills as a bilingual, English-Spanish, communicator. She has worked with the Humane Society of Boulder Valley, Reading to End Racism, The Friendship City Project, and Intercambio, among others. All of her efforts are about empowering and connecting individuals. She spends 20-30 hours a week on all her volunteering interests, but the CAM program requires only 3-4 hours a week.

Currently, CAM is looking for volunteers who have experience with and can relate to minorities. Bohley said, "I think in part the work that I do is so easy and so rewarding, I wish that others would take another person and share little ideas, little steps until they becomes strong enough to do something they have been shyly thinking about."

For information about volunteering with the BVSD Community Access Mentoring Program-CAM or other agencies, call the Volunteer Connection at 303-444-4904.