January: National Mentoring Month

Reps. Susan Davis (CA-53) and Jim Renacci (OH-16) j introduced a bipartisan resolution recognizing January as National Mentoring Month, celebrating the quality mentoring programs throughout the nation and the mentors to our young people that provide crucial support and guidance as they develop into our next generation of citizens and leaders.

“Throughout my life, I've been lucky enough to work with incredible young people and see firsthand the life changing impact that committed mentors can have on our children,” said Davis, a senior member of the House Committee on Education and the Workforce. “I was fortunate to have mentors who helped me succeed, and I had the opportunity to pay those efforts forward during my time with the Aaron Price Fellows program, a mentorship program aimed at fostering civically engaged students. I am thrilled to introduce this resolution which highlights the importance of these crucial mentorship programs across our country."

“I grew up with very little − paid my own way through school and was the first in my family to graduate college,” said Renacci. “Along the way, I was fortunate to have the advice and support of my parents and mentors to help me succeed. Not every child has that same support structure. That is why I’ve worked with other community leaders in Cleveland to start an empowerment program to connect students with business and community leaders. This resolution recognizes the influence mentoring programs have in helping students realize their educational and career goals and brings awareness to the need for further mentorship programs throughout the country.”

“Mentoring programs and supporters have leveraged National Mentoring Month as an opportunity to not only raise awareness but to get their communities engaged in this effort to provide a critical support to our young people,” said David Shapiro, president and CEO of MENTOR. “It’s only with this level of commitment and involvement that we can ensure every young person has the supportive relationships they need to grow and develop into thriving, productive and engaged adults.”

The Mentoring Effect, a national report, found that young people who were at risk of not completing high school, but who had a mentor were 55% more likely to be enrolled in college than those who did not. They were also 81% more likely to participate regularly in sports or extracurricular activities and 78% more likely to volunteer in their communities.

National Mentoring Month gives Members of Congress and Americans the opportunity to highlight mentoring programs that produce positive outcomes, and to focus on year-round strategies to grow their capacity and ensure that every young person who needs a mentor is connected to a caring adult.

National Mentoring Month is led by MENTOR: The National Mentoring Partnership and celebrates its 15th anniversary in 2017.

Rep. Davis serves as Chair of the Congressional Mentoring Caucus, which provides Members of Congress the opportunity to work collaboratively on youth mentoring and develop policy that will improve youth access to high-quality mentors.