This January marks the 15th annual National Mentoring Month, and The Cook County YMCA is participating in this campaign aimed at expanding quality mentoring opportunities to connect more of our community’s young people with caring adults by offering a brand new mentoring program, Reach & Rise.
“There is a powerful mentoring effect demonstrated by research and the experiences of young people who are connected to a mentor,” said Brianne Benson, Reach & Rise coordinator. “Mentoring is linked to improved academic, social and economic prospects, and that ultimately strengthens our community.”
Research has shown that when matched through a quality mentoring program, mentors can play a powerful role in providing young people with the tools to make responsible decisions, stay focused and engaged in school, and reduce or avoid risky behavior like skipping school, drug use and other negative activities.
For example, in a recent national report called The Mentoring Effect, young people who were at-risk for not completing high school but who had a mentor were 55 percent more likely to be enrolled in college than those who did not have a mentor. They were also: . 81 percent more likely to participate regularly in sports or extracurricular activities. . 78 percent 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.
This same report found that one in three young people in our country will grow up without a mentor.
As we focus on engaging more community members in volunteering as mentors, we will share a simple message: Become a Mentor, Change Two Lives. Mentoring relationships are basic human connections that let a young person know that he or she matters, and mentors frequently report back that their relationships make them feel like someone is there to help them make the right choices in life.
For more information or to volunteer to participate in the program, contact the YMCA at (218) 722-4745, ext. 170.
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