[Press Release] Celebrating 17 Years of National Mentoring Month

Press Release - FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

January 2019

LADYS Program - Cville

CELEBRATING 17 YEARS OF NATIONAL MENTORING MONTH LADYS PROGRAM – CVILLE LOOKS TO ENGAGE COMMUNITY THROUGHOUT JANUARY

[Charllotesville, VA] – January is National Mentoring Month, and this year the LADYS Program is celebrating the annual campaign aimed at expanding quality mentoring opportunities to connect more of our community’s young people with caring adults by engaging our supporters across the nation.

“Over the past fifteen years, mentoring has gained so much momentum, in large part due to National Mentoring Month. Mentoring is a critical part of developing positive relationships within our community – mentoring is proven to have a positive effect on academic, social, and economic outcomes for our young people.” – National Mentoring Summit

Mentoring is a critical component in young people’s lives, helping them make the decisions and connections that lead to opportunity. But 1 in 3 young people are growing up without a mentor outside their family. This is the mentoring gap in America. That’s 9 million young people without a mentor outside their family to walk alongside them through their journey. At a time when much of the focus is on what divides us, MENTOR research shows that there is something the majority of Americans agree on: mentoring relationships are powerful tools for connection and are critical to our country’s future. Americans are overwhelmingly crossing racial, economic, and other bridges to mentor young people outside their families. More than 80% of adults agree with government investment in mentoring, and more than two-thirds are already mentoring or willing to consider it.

With a Mentor, at-risk youth are :

55% more likely to be enrolled in college
81% more likely to report participating regularly in sports or extracurricular activities
78% more likely to volunteer regularly in their communities.
More than twice as likely to say they held a leadership position in a club or sports team

National Mentoring Month each January allows for unique engagement from community members interested in becoming a mentor. This year, with the support of the mentoring community, we are encouraging the public to go beyond just digital engagement – and become involved in making a real life impact. Mentoring relationships are at their best when connections are made between a caring adult and a young person who knows that someone is there to help guide them through those real life decisions.

Important dates for this public awareness campaign that activate on social media include:

January 17, 2019 – International Mentoring Day

A day of international conversation on social media where photos, videos and messages of powerful mentoring stories are shared.

January 21, 2019 – Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day of Service

A day to share in the inspirational words of Dr. MLK, Jr. and elevate the spirit of service through volunteerism.

January 30- February 1, 2019 – National Mentoring Summit

January 31, 2019 – #ThankYourMentor Day

National Mentoring Month is led by MENTOR: The National Mentoring Partnership and the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, with support from the Highland Street Foundation. Launched in 2002 by MENTOR focuses national attention on the need for mentors, as well as how each of us—individuals, businesses, government agencies, schools, faith communities and nonprofits—can work together to increase the number of mentors to help ensure positive outcomes for our young people. This campaign celebrates mentoring and the positive effect it can have on young lives. Its goals are to: Raise awareness of mentoring in its various forms. Recruit individuals to mentor, especially in programs that have waiting lists of young people. Promote the rapid growth of mentoring by recruiting organizations to engage their constituents in mentoring

To learn more about the role mentoring plays in our community visit www.LADYSProgram.com