Excerpted from NMM news release | Posted:聽January 5, 2012
January 3, 2012: President Barack Obama has issued a designating January as National Mentoring Month, saying, 鈥淓very day, mentors help young Americans face the challenges of growing into adulthood. By setting a positive example and sharing their time, knowledge and experience, mentors play an essential role in preparing our Nation’s youth for a bright future. During National Mentoring Month, we celebrate the contributions of all those who cultivate a supportive environment for the next generation, and we recommit to expanding mentorship opportunities across our country.鈥�
January 2012 marks the 11th anniversary of National Mentoring Month, an annual media campaign to recruit volunteer mentors for young people. Spearheaded by the Harvard Mentoring Project of the Harvard School of Public Health, MENTOR and the Corporation for National and Community Service, this year鈥檚 campaign tagline is Invest in the Future. Mentor a Child.
Mentors, backed by quality mentoring programs, play a powerful role in preventing substance abuse and youth violence, as well as boosting academic achievement and workforce readiness. Studies have shown a more than 250 percent return on a $1 investment in mentoring and a myriad of quality of life benefits to the mentor, too. Mentors help build young people鈥檚 character and confidence, expand their universe and help them navigate pathways to successful adulthood.
Despite this proven impact, the gap between the number of mentors and the number of young people who need a mentor is still too large. While three million young people have a mentor, 15 million need a caring adult mentor in their lives.
黑料不打烊 counts on mentors to provide guidance and encouragement to hundreds of students statewide each year. Mentoring takes just one hour, one day a week, but the investment in each child extends well beyond–and many times means the difference between that young person veering off track or going on to achieve in life.
For more information about how you can become a Communities In Schools mentor, visit our website.