AUBURN - It can be a great and intimidating leap to make from elementary school up to middle school with increased work loads, switching classes all day and a barrage of new faces.

It was this fact that first inspired the creation of Y-Pals.

“Kids coming into middle school are used to a more structured setting with one classroom and one teacher,” Y-Pals Director Sharon Collins said. “We created this mentoring program to help kids adjust socially and academically.”

Y-Pal programs are in use throughout Cayuga County, pairing up younger students with upperclassmen, to assist in the transition to their mutual benefit.

“There is a mentor and mentee,” Collins said. “It helps to have someone to show younger students the ropes, somebody that has been there and it gives them a sounding board. And for both it grows into a friendship and a lot of them have really bonded and become close.”

In the past, high school students have played the role of mentor, but this year, starting back in September, the Y-Pals decided to take a new approach starting with East Middle School with 20 students.

“We decided to try and have eighth-graders mentor the sixth-graders,” Collins said. “We wanted to try a new spin on things and it has worked out very, very well. We have a great group of kids.”

According to students like Jordan Bush, having the opportunity to spend time with an older student has been incredibly beneficial.

“At first I never knew my way around,” Bush said. “But Sarah (Marquart) showed me around and we've been everywhere. And I needed help with my homework and my grades and she helped teach me what to do and my grades have been getting way up.”

For Marquart, the experience has been a lot of fun.

“I really wanted to mentor someone,” Marquart said. “I don't have a little brother or sister so I wanted to help some one; I thought it would be fun. I've really liked connecting and getting to know another person.”

But there is more to it than directions through the halls and homework help, there are the friendships that are born of these pairings.

“I really enjoy seeing my Y-Pal (Ciara Hirsch) a lot,” Erin Johanns said. “It isn't all just homework. We hang out and talk. I can say that I definitely made a new friend. She's been really good; I like her just being Ciara.”

“I like to help,” Hirsch said. “If people have problems I want to be able to help them out and be there for them. It is really fun and it feels really good to help and to get someone to trust you and I think I'm pretty good at it, which feels good.”

One of the areas where Collins said she has seen this program be truly great has been what it does for all the students' self esteem.

With the success of the program this year Collins said she hopes to expand on things next year and get even more children involved.

“We definitely want to make it bigger,” Collins said. “The response has been so good we are going to have to expand and get more kids involved. I'm so proud of all of the kids in all of the schools. They are all doing a great job and I hope they keep it up and come back next year.”

A chance many mentors and mentees are already looking forward to.

“I already asked if I could come back,” Marquart said. “It doesn't seem fair to leave and this is something I really want to do, so I'm definitely coming back next year.”