It takes a certain level of trust to let someone layer strips of plaster over your mouth.

Sabrina Triplett sat up straight as her mentor, Stephanie Lensert, carefully covered Sabrina's face with thin pieces of white plaster.

"Now make sure you hold still," Stephanie said. "Soon you won't be able to talk. It's terrible."

"I can't smile either," Sabrina said.

Stephanie and Sabrina are part of Natrona County School District's Champions Mentoring program, which is funded through the district's Safe Schools, Healthy Kids grant.

With a day off from school on Friday,the two girls were at Frontier Middle School to make masks with artist Lynn Hays and other participants in the Champions program.

Helene Crouch, the program's facilitator, encourages mentors to spend time with mentees as often as possible. Activities, like Friday's mask making, are offered each month so all participants can get together.

"I think it's important to offer activities to develop those relationships," Crouch said.

Hays said she's done several mask-making workshops, and every time she sees relationships between people blossom.

"They're going to express, through their art, their relationship with each other," Hays said. "They immediately begin to interact with each other in a fun and creative environment."

Stephanie, a Casper College student, said she signed up for Champions because of the mentors she's had in her own life.

"I just wanted to give back to the community," Stephanie said. "I've had so had many good mentors in my life. I wanted to do that for someone else."

Every Tuesday, Stephanie visits Sabrina at school, where the girls go to recess and eat lunch together. Stephanie's visits are a 45-minute bright spot in Sabrina's day.

"She's funny," Sabrina said. "We talk together."

The girls are also in search of something they can do when school's not in session.

"We want to volunteer somewhere with animals," Stephanie said. "Sabrina loves animals."

Reach education reporter Jasa Santos at (307) 266-0593 or at Jasa.Santos@trib.com. Read her blog at my.trib.com/jasasantos