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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
January 4, 2021
The SHIELD Mentor Program Celebrates National Mentoring Month with Partnering Agencies.
January is National Mentoring Month, and this year the SHIELD Mentor 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 hosting a webinar series every Tuesday this month.
“Each year we try to think about how to strengthen our connections with like minded organizations in our community.” said Precious McKoy.
Research shows that mentors play a powerful role in providing young people with the tools to make responsible choices, attend and engage in school, and reduce or avoid risky behavior like drug use. In turn, these young people 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.
Yet, the same research shows that one in three young people in our country will grow up without a mentor. Today, in our community there are so many kids who could benefit from having a mentor.
National Mentoring Month is the time of year where engagement from community members interested in becoming a mentor is highest. This year, with the support of the mentoring community, we are encouraging the public to go beyond just digital engagement – and become involved in real life. 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.
SHIELD's planned activities and events for National Mentoring Month:
Sharing our inaugural hashtag, #SHIELDAmplifiesMentoring
Sending out our monthly newsletter, Mass Mentoring Matters
Regular communications with mentoring programs
We are proud to host a Youth Mental Health Awareness Series every Tuesday at 6 PM EST on our Facebook and YouTube channels with our partners: Mental Health Greensboro, Carelink Solutions, Inc., Guilford County Family Justice Center, and MentorHub.
I Am A Mentor Day, January 7th: A day for volunteer mentors to celebrate their role and reflect on the ways mentees have enhanced their world.
International Mentoring Day, January 17th: In honor of Muhammad Ali’s birthday, join the international conversation on social media where photos, videos and messages of powerful mentoring stories are shared. Use #MentoringDay & #MentoringMonth in your posts!
MLK Day of Service, January 18th: A day to share in the inspirational words of Dr. MLK, Jr. and elevate the spirit of service through volunteerism.
Youth Mentoring Day, January 27th: MENTOR provides a unified public voice in Washington, D.C., for the youth mentoring movement.
National Mentoring Summit in Washington, D.C., January 27-29th: Several Mass Mentoring Partnership staff will be attending this meeting of mentoring stakeholders from around the country and presenting on a variety of topics. Learn more about this year’s virtual Summit here.
Thank Your Mentor Day, January 29 (National): A day to show gratitude for your mentor by posting on social media using hashtags #ThankYourMentor, #MentoringAmplifies, and #MentoringMonth
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. Each year since its launch in 2002, National Mentoring Month has enjoyed the strong support of the President and the United States Congress. Other prominent individuals who have participated in the campaign include: Maya Angelou, former President Bill Clinton, Clint Eastwood, Quincy Jones, Cal Ripken Jr., Bill Russell and Usher.
To learn more about the role mentoring plays in our community and to find volunteer opportunities visit http://www.shieldmentor.org or call 336-337-2771.
About the SHIELD Mentor Program:
The SHIELD Mentor Program, founded in January of 2008, is a 501(C)3 nonprofit organization that provides a full range of mentoring programs and services, providing the skills for success in leadership development. The structure of the mentoring programs creates an atmosphere that is designed to decrease the limitations in the lives of youth to help them become more likely to fulfill their highest potential. The mission of the SHIELD Mentor Program is to Strengthen, Help, Inspire, and Encourage Leadership Development by delivering structured mentoring activities and programs for young people. Youth live in a world full of wonderful opportunities; the goal is to give them proper guidance to obtain them.
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