National Mentoring Month 2009 Activities

This page highlights the many activities from National Mentoring Month 2009.

ALASKA
ARIZONA
ARKANSAS
CALIFORNIA
CONNECTICUT
FLORIDA
GEORGIA
IOWA
KANSAS
MARYLAND
MASSACHUSETTS
MICHIGAN
MINNESOTA
NEW JERSEY
NEW MEXICO
NEW YORK
OHIO
OKLAHOMA
PENNSYLVANIA
RHODE ISLAND
TENNESSEE
TEXAS
UTAH
VERMONT
VIRGINIA
WASHINGTON

ALASKA
Anchorage Mentoring Alliance
Amy Dorsey
(907) 263-2025
info@anchoragementors.org

The Anchorage Mentoring Alliance hosted a Thank Your Mentor Day celebration January 24 at the Boys & Girls Club of Mountain View. This is the sixth year for the event, which included free activities and games, awards and prizes and guest speakers. The Alliance also worked with local television and radio stations, as well as the Anchorage Daily News, to promote mentoring through the national PSAs and feature articles. Mentoring agencies distributed posters, rack cards and brochures from the Alliance.


ARIZONA
Governor's Office for Children Youth and Families-Governor s Mentoring Initiative (Phoenix)
Amanda Scott-Thomas
(602) 542-3426
ascottthomas@az.gov

The Governor's Office hosted an awards program January 21 recognizing 10 outstanding Arizona mentors. Neuroscientist Dr. Jose Nanez Sr., executive director of community outreach for University Student Initiatives at Arizona State University, was the keynote speaker. A Mentor Fair was part of the event so mentoring organizations could engage visiting state employees at informational tables in the Arizona Department of Economic Security's atrium.

Each week in January, the Governor’s Office coordinated a Mentor 101 Lunch & Learn session at different state agencies: the State Capitol, the Attorney General's Office, the Department of Administration and the Department of Transportation. Each session featured mentoring organization representatives who presented the Mentor for Change PowerPoint, a state employee who talked about his/her ongoing mentor experience, information about Arizona's Mentoring Initiative and a question and answer segment.

In a partnership with the Arizona Department of Administration, the Governor’s Office developed a poster campaign to promote National Mentoring Month activities. The poster featured a state employee and her mentee visiting the Capitol Museum. It is the first in a series of ongoing mentor promotion posters.

An informational ad ran in the Capitol Times, a publication targeted to state employees. National Mentoring Month activities also were part of the state employees’ electronic payroll notification.

Volunteer Center of Southern Arizona: The Mentoring Partnership (Tucson)
Scott D. Ingram
(520) 881-3300
singram@volunteersoaz.org

In Tucson, Mayor Bob Walkup issued a proclamation supporting National Mentoring Month. The Volunteer Center of Southern Arizona: The Mentoring Partnership highlighted mentoring opportunities, as well as personal stories from mentors and mentees, on their Web site throughout the month. Staff also distributed National Mentoring Month posters, thank-you cards and other materials to mentoring agencies and schools that support the local Experience Corps mentor/tutor program. Staff VISTA members reached out to all local media for support, and staff distributed MENTOR’s corporate mentoring brochure to local businesses.

An interview on NBC television affiliate KVOA January 13 focused on mentoring and National Mentoring Month and resulted in a call from someone interested in mentoring 30 minutes afterward. Over the January 23-24 weekend, Community Renewal and MentorKids USA presented a mentoring conference at the First Evangelical Free Church.

ARKANSAS
Arkansas Service Commission (Little Rock)
Jackie Stubblefield
(501) 682-6724
Jackie.stubblefield@arkansas.gov

Governor Mike Beebe issued a proclamation to the Division of Volunteerism that January is National Mentoring Month in Arkansas.

CALIFORNIA
Bay Area Mentoring/Friends for Youth (Redwood City)
Sarah Kremer
(650) 559-0200
sarah@mentoringinstitute.org

Bay Area Mentoring/Friends for Youth hosted numerous National Mentoring Month events, beginning with a Golden State Warriors game January 11 where mentors and their mentees got a pregame tour and front-row warm-up seats, recognition during half time and interaction with Thunder, the team mascot. The San Mateo County Board of Supervisors presented their National Mentoring Month proclamation during an event January 27. Then, Friends for Youth’s Mentoring Institute hosted their 10th Anniversary Mentoring Conference January 29-30, which included preconference courses and workshops. The Mentoring All-Stars in Redwood Shores event January 29 highlighted mentors and mentees from the San Mateo County Mentoring Coalition, and National Mentoring Month closed with the Bay Area Mentoring Fishbowl Forum in San Francisco January 31, including a youth panel focused on why mentoring matters.

COLORADO
Governor's Commission on Community Service/Colorado Mentoring (Denver)
Mark Skinner
(303) 866-2565
Mark.skinner@state.co.us

CONNECTICUT
The Governor's Prevention Partnership (Hartford)
Veronica T. DeLandro
(860) 523-8042
Veronica.delandro@preventionworksct.org

Connecticut’s Governor M. Jodi Rell officially proclaimed January National Mentoring Month as part of a statewide campaign to encourage adults, especially men, to mentor children. She also produced a television PSA urging support for mentoring. To view a video clip, go to www.preventionworksct.org

The Eighth Annual "Spotlight On Partners in Mentoring" Corporate Honor Roll Breakfast January 28 had to be cancelled due to snow and icy driving conditions. More than 160 people from across the state were expected to attend. The 2008 Corporate Honor Roll certificates signed by Governor Rell will be mailed, and The Governor’s Prevention Partnership will identify alternate ways to recognize business contributions to mentoring during the coming spring. Speakers scheduled for the event were Laura Green, president and CEO of Nutmeg Big Brothers Big Sisters; Dr. John J. Ramos Sr., superintendent of Bridgeport Public Schools; Chuck Firlotte, president and CEO of Aquarion Water Company in Bridgeport; Mike Bennett, a mentee; Michael Fedele, lieutenant governor of Connecticut; and Jennifer Rizzotti, the honorary chairperson and head coach of women’s basketball at the University of Hartford.

Central Connecticut State University hosted Annual Mentor Day, with free tickets for mentors and mentees to their men's and women's basketball doubleheader. In addition and in honor of National Mentoring Month, the university’s Athletic Director, C.J. Jones, offered free admission to the women's basketball game January 10. The Governor's Prevention Partnership received free goodie bags for mentees, and team members were available after the game to sign autographs and talk with fans.

The Governor’s Prevention Partnership offered a free media training for mentor coordinators to help them better engage media in promoting National Mentoring Month. This December 4 training at the Legislative Office Building in Hartford was titled “Maximizing Awareness of Your Mentor Program through the Media.” One of the additional resources distributed was a customized mentor recruitment campaign tool kit.

A television and radio PSA featuring Governor Rell, as well as the national PSA, were sent to all local television affiliates and radio stations.

FLORIDA
Big Brothers Big Sisters of Greater Miami
Laura Fernandez
(305) 644-0066, Ext. 228
lfernandez@bbbsmiami.org

With no additional funding allocated for National Mentoring Month activities, Big Brothers Big Sisters of Greater Miami still mounted a promotional effort that resulted in the Miami Herald printing a pro-mentoring OpEd letter on New Year’s Day, all local Comcast channels airing the national television PSA, and a Volunteer Appreciation Luncheon January 24 at the Four Seasons Hotel, where 300 mentors and their mentees were recognized and awards given to the pairs who have been matched between five and 10 years.

Children's Services Council Mentor Center (Palm Beach)
Kelly Brill
(561) 374-7643
Kelly.brill@cscpbc.org

At no cost, television partner ABC aired national and local PSAs, as well as profiles of four local programs and their mentor/mentee pairs during evening news slot each Monday in January. The station also produced a special PSA profiling local mentor matches and promoted a kickoff day with screen crawls, online ads and hourly PSAs to announce National Mentoring Month and encourage mentors to contact the Children’s Services Council Mentor Center. Finally, the station will host a “Mentoring Night” for mentors and mentees to tour the studios, meet on-air talent and have photos taken behind the anchor desks. Additional television stations — NBC, CBS, The WB, FOX and Comcast Cable — agreed to air mentoring PSAs pro bono throughout January and February. And, government and municipal television stations ran the PSA pro bono through January into February.

Several CBS radio stations ran PSAs at no cost, as well as on-air interviews during several morning shows. They also distributed mentoring materials at live remotes and events. The local PBS radio station ran the PSA and did a live interview, while also running an ad on their Web site.

Local businesses agreed to promote mentoring every Monday in January by asking staff to wear mentoring t-shirts and displaying print materials to recruit mentors.

The Mentor Center sent a special e-newsletter to nearly 2,000 community members featuring local and national mentoring news.

Florida Mentoring Partnership (Tallahassee)
Mark Nelson
(850) 562-5300
mark.nelson@volunteerusafund.org

Local Comcast channels aired an original PSA on the Volunteer USA Foundation’s Teen Trendsetters program — an effort that allows high school students to mentor third graders in reading. Comcast also is a cofounder of the program. In addition, the Tallahassee Democrat published an opinion piece that made this point, among others: “While January is observed as National Mentoring Month by Volunteer USA, there is certainly no starting and stopping point for mentoring.”

GEORGIA
Georgia Mentoring Partnership/Communities In Schools of Georgia (Atlanta)
Taryn Collinsworth
(478) 474-1850
tcollinsworth@cisgeorgia.org

The Georgia Mentoring Partnership worked with representatives from 30 mentoring organizations to develop a statewide National Mentoring Month strategy. The month began with National Mentoring Month proclamations on the state and local community levels. A focus on Martin Luther King Jr. weekend resulted in several faith-based leaders giving sermons about mentoring and many organizations hosting mentor recruitment rallies and fairs throughout Georgia. The final of numerous mentor/mentee celebrations offered free bowling January 31 through the Atlanta Cares network. To date, the Georgia Mentoring Partnership has gathered National Mentoring Month media coverage, in various formats, from 13 counties.

IOWA
Iowa Commission on Volunteer Service (Des Moines)
Melissa Simmermaker
(515) 242-4772
Melissa.simmermaker@iowalifechanging.com

Governor Chet Culver supported the cause by issuing a proclamation designating January as National Mentoring Month. The Governor’s office also released personalized mentor recognition certificates to certified mentoring programs from across the state.

The Commission on Volunteer Service developed and gave to certified programs a mentoring advocacy toolkit, including tips, templates and tools to become a mentoring advocate.

Mentoring Day on the Hill occurred January 22 at the State Capitol. Representatives from approximately 25 certified mentoring programs spoke with their legislators about the importance of mentoring in Iowa and the difference that mentoring is making in their communities. The Iowa House of Representatives then recognized the Iowa Mentoring Partnership and Mentoring Day on the Hill with a point of privilege and encouragement for representatives to support local mentoring programs.

Local television station KCCI ran the National Mentoring Month PSA throughout the month. Iowa Public Radio also conducted a 30-minute interview with the Iowa Mentoring Partnership about National Mentoring Month and the need for more mentors. A mentoring pair from Big Brothers Big Sisters of Muscatine County was featured. In addition, two five-minute feature segments on National Mentoring Month and Mentoring Day on the Hill aired on KDFR Christian Family Radio.

The Iowa Mentoring Partnership created a Web site feature called "Spotlight on Mentoring," which highlighted the story of a different mentoring pair from our certified mentoring programs each week throughout the month of January.

National Mentoring Month promotional materials were distributed at Des Moines libraries, bookstores and elementary schools — and to certified mentoring programs statewide.

Finally, Drake College in Des Moine hosted a Volunteer Recruitment Fair January 28.

KANSAS
Kansas Mentors (Topeka)
Ella Todd
(785) 296-8873
etodd@kdheks.gov

Governor Kathleen Sebelius proclaimed January National Mentoring Month 2009 and distributed a press release highlighting Thank a Mentor Day. State legislators received a National Mentoring Month mailer during the first week of their 2009 session. And a state agency e-newsletter ran an article highlighting employee work-release time for mentoring.
Kansas State University used its LED billboard to promote National Mentoring Month at all of the January basketball games. More than 1,000 radio and television PSAs were scheduled to air statewide.

Kansas Mentors launched a page on Facebook.

MARYLAND
The Maryland Mentoring Partnership (Baltimore)
Jeannette Simon
(410) 685-8316
jsimon@marylandmentors.org

National Mentoring Month activities included the Upper Shore Mentor Appreciation Reception January 15, as well as a Mentoring Fun Day January 18.

FOX 45 television station in Baltimore and FOX 5 in Washington, D.C., reprised their Mentoring Monday Phone-a-Thon January 19 and 26 respectively. In addition to the Phone-a-Thon, FOX 5 ran a crawler during the day with promotional information, including a telephone number, about becoming a mentor.

The Maryland Mentoring Partnership hosted mentoring Program Development Training January 21, as well as a Lower Shore Mentor Appreciation Event January 22.

On designated days in January, the Reginald Lewis Museum in Baltimore and the Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum in St. Michaels offered free and discounted passes in recognition of National Mentoring Month.

MASSACHUSETTS
Mass Mentoring Partnership (Boston)
Richard Hines
(617) 695-2432
rhines@massmentors.org

Mass Mentoring Partnership and State Street Financial Center hosted the Third Annual Youth Mentoring Forum January 22 with philanthropic and civic leaders exploring strategies to substantially increase the number of mentors in Massachusetts without sacrificing the quality that ensures the greatest dividends for youth. The free forum, with lunch provided, featured George Russell Jr., executive vice president and director of community affairs for State Street Corporation; Jim Connolly, president of Citizens Financial Group; Jarrett Barrios, president of Blue Cross/Blue Shield of Massachusetts Foundation and a former state senator; Roger H. Brown, president of the Berklee College of Music and cofounder of Horizons for Homeless Children and Bright Horizons Family Solutions; Dr. Wilfredo Laboy, Lawrence superintendent of schools; Mary Walachy, executive director of the Irene E. and George A. David Foundation; and Renee Spencer, Ed.D, LICSW, assistant professor of the Boston University School of Social Work. Highlights included the initial results from the 2008 Mass Mentoring Counts — a mentoring census that identifies youth mentoring trends, gaps and program practices — and a first-in-the-nation recognition of 15 mentoring programs that are inaugural members of the Partnership based on quality practices.

The Red Sox Mentoring Challenge and Recognition Event at Fenway Park January 24 featured a tour of the ballpark and a special gift for all new mentors and potential mentors. Since the Red Sox Mentoring Challenge began in 2006, more than 1,200 caring adults have stepped up to the plate and expressed interest in mentoring to a child.

The Third Annual Youth Mentoring Day at the State House was January 28, hosted by Mass Mentoring Partnership, the Ambassadors of Mentoring and the Mass Service Alliance. During the recognition program, keynote speaker Suffolk County Sheriff Andrea Cabral honored key legislators for their mentoring support. A mentor recruitment fair followed the program.

The Mass Mentoring Partnership and several mentoring programs contacted media statewide about featuring the “Be the Change, Mentor a Child” print PSA with President Obama. To date, the ad has appeared in the Boston Globe, Boston Herald and Boston Metro. The Bay State Banner, Fall River Herald and New Bedford Standard-Times also agreed to run the ad.

MICHIGAN
Big Brothers Big Sisters of Metropolitan Detroit
Katherine J. Adams
(248) 569-0600
adamsk@bbbsdetroit.org

Big Brothers Big Sisters of Metropolitan Detroit kicked off their Second Annual 100 Mentors in 100 days activity by participating in the 24th Annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Holiday Peace Walk Celebration. Twenty people from the agency completed the 1.5-mile walk to the Southfield Pavilion. AmeriCorps members generated 15 mentor inquiries through the activity, and everyone enjoyed the speakers and acknowledgements of the special day. Mentors who participate din the march received Potbelly Sandwich Works coupons to share a meal with their mentees.

Media coverage included the national television PSAs that aired on Comcast and NBC - WDIV. Radio station Mix 92.3 uploaded our Expand Your Universe radio spots to be heard on their Web site. The Detroit News published part of an essay on a Call for Mentorship from Judge Damon J. Keith, 6th Circuit Court of Appeal, written on behalf of Big Brothers Big Sisters of Metropolitan Detroit. The Michigan Chronicle ran an article on mentoring, and The Observer and Eccentric published an editorial from the organization’s President and CEO Dara Munson.

Mentor Michigan/MI Community Service Commission (Lansing)
Amber Reiss
(517) 241-0063
reissa@michigan.gov

Mentor Michigan registered more than 55 National Mentoring Month projects throughout the state to recruit new mentors, recognize current mentors and celebrate mentoring in general.

Governor Jennifer M. Granholm issued a proclamation declaring January as National Mentoring Month in Michigan.

Mentor Michigan provided Lloyd Carr mentoring PSAs that aired at the 2009 North American International Auto Show in Detroit. Those PSAs also aired on Fox Sports Network in Detroit throughout the month.

MINNESOTA
The Mentoring Partnership of Minnesota (Minneapolis)
Mai-Anh Kapanke
(612) 370-9169
Mai-anhk@mentoringworks.org

The Mentoring Partnership of Minnesota kicked off a year-long public engagement campaign called Wired for 2020. The theme, Spark their Interest, Expand their Possibilities, invites adults to become mentors to help young people find their spark, explore interactive tools and resources that support their passions, and provide ongoing guidance and support to fulfill their goals. Wired for 2020 is using social marketing, innovative technology and an event to help young people envision their futures. A statewide futuristic event April 18 at the Mall of America will feature interactive, hi-tech exhibits and guest speakers to give youth and adults a glimpse of how innovation and technology will change the way we live, learn and interact. Partners for the campaign include The Mentoring Partnership of Minnesota, the Minnesota Business Partnership, the Science Museum of Minnesota, the Minnesota Department of Education, the Minnesota High Tech Association, the Minnesota Chamber of Commerce and the City of Minneapolis. For more information, go to www.wiredfor2020.com

Governor Tim Pawlenty issued a proclamation January 1 that January is National Mentoring Month.

NEBRASKA
TeamMates Mentoring Program (Lincoln)
Suzanne Hince
(402) 390-8326
sosborne@teammates.org

Go to www.teammates.org and check out the stopwatch that is tracking how many mentors were recruited during January (and beyond). TeamMates set a goal to recruit 500 new mentors, and the stopwatch reminds readers of the “one hour difference” mentors make in the lives of young people.

Among the many TeamMates chapters, National Mentoring Month activities included The Knights of Columbus fish fry for the Boone Central chapter, with proceeds going to TeamMates and mentors eating free; the mentor appreciation dinner at Hastings College, followed by the women’s basketball game in which a Hastings chapter mentor played on the team; the mentor/mentee bowling outing with pizza and t-shirts for the Missouri Valley chapter participants; the Lincoln chapter’s business luncheon and awards dinner, featuring Olympic Gold Medalist Rulon Gardner, who spoke about the importance of education and pursuing dreams; the Omaha chapter’s mentor appreciation luncheon with Nebraska Volleyball Coach John Cook, who talked about the mentors in his life, and Mentoring for Success leadership conference; and the red-carpet event for the North Platte chapter, where mentees thanked their mentors.

NEW JERSEY
Volunteer Center of Bergen County (Hackensack)
Cindy Andrake
(201) 489-9454
candrake@bergenvolunteers.org

The Volunteer Center secured donated tickets to the March 22 New Jersey Nets professional basketball game for mentors and their mentees. During the game, the pairs will be recognized via announcements and on the scoreboard.

In January, the Volunteer Center received media support from community newspapers and posted National Mentoring Month information, as well as mentor testimonials, on the organization’s blog at http://bergenvolunteers.blogspot.com/

Newark Mentoring Coalition
Nichelle L. Holder
(973) 540-1946
nichelle@mcj.org

Newark’s Mayor Cory Booker, as well as additional elected officials and corporate representatives, attended a National Mentoring Month kickoff press conference that the Newark Mentoring Coalition hosted. A series of “After-Work Mixers” to recruit mentors has seen as many as 150 people in attendance per event. Local faith organizations have supported Newark Mentoring Sundays as members dine at area restaurants that have pledge to donate a portion of their proceeds that day to local mentoring organizations.

NEW MEXICO
Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central New Mexico (Albuquerque)
Kerrie Copelin
(505) 837-9223
Kerrie.copelin@bbbs.org

Leading up to January, the local ABC television station featured the National Mentoring Month Reel People pair December 17. Good Day New Mexico ran a segment on Thank Your Mentor Day, as well as mentoring in general, January 22.
Also on Thank Your Mentor Day, children at the Mission Avenue Elementary School created thank-you cards for their mentors and participated in activities with them throughout the afternoon.

Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central New Mexico collaborated with PNM — a public utility company — on a recruitment event January 27 allowing employees to mentor a child at a school for the day.

NEW YORK
The Mentoring Partnership of Long Island (Hauppauge)
John Hershey
(631) 761-7800
jhershey@mentorkids.org

The Mentoring Partnership of Long Island hosted 400 mentors and mentees January 19 as part of a Mentor/Mentee Day at the New York Islanders Hockey game against the Washington Capitals. The event was sponsored by Bethpage Federal Credit Union and Smithtown Acura.

February 2 the Partnership will host its annual Teens on the Job Ground Hog Shadow Day. Approximately 1,000 10th graders from 40 high schools are expected to be assigned in pairs to employer sites.

The Mentoring Partnership of New York (New York)
Bruce Beckwith
(212) 953-0945
bbeckwith@mentoring.org

The Mentoring Partnership of New York was featured on ABC's Good Morning America during the weather segment January 21. Weatherman Sam Champion briefly interviewed the Partnership’s Bruce Beckwith, who encouraged listeners to become mentors. Beckwith attended the show with a group of mentors. In addition, The Mentoring Partnership of New York’s 2008 Corporate Mentor of the Year and member of the Young Professionals Advisory Board Jamie Frieder was a guest on the local PIX-11 Morning News. Frieder gave the weather forecast and talked about mentoring, including the activities she enjoys with her mentee, Kiante. WPIX also aired PSAs promoting National Mentoring Month throughout January. Finally, a group from the Mentoring Partnership of New York appeared, with a banner, on the CBS Early Show January 26. To see clips from these broadcasts, go to www.mentoring.org.

The organization’s 10th annual Mentors’ Day at the Field House at Chelsea Piers January 24 celebrated the positive, long-lasting effects of mentoring and was the premier New York City event in recognition of National Mentoring Month. Mayor Michael Bloomberg declared it Mentors’ Day in New York City, bringing special recognition to the importance of this event and of mentoring. More than 650 mentors and mentees enjoyed everything the Field House at Chelsea Piers offers, including basketball, soccer, rock-climbing, gymnastics, dancing, arts and crafts, relay races, board games and team-building exercises. CW11 weatherman and former New York City schoolteacher Irv "Mr. G" Gikofsky emceed the program, mascot Mr. Met of the New York Mets entertained the crowd and the theater group IMPACT, known for their part in the Academy Award-nominated movie August Rush, gave a special performance. Local station WPIX featured Mentors’ Day on their 10:45 p.m. news.

From these efforts, the Mentoring Partnership of New York received an unprecedented 70 calls from people interested in becoming mentors.

NORTH CAROLINA
North Carolina Mentoring Partnership (Raleigh)
Linda Harrill
(919) 715-5263
lhcisnc@aol.com

OHIO
Cincinnati Youth Collaborative
Simone Bess/Shannan Schmitt
(513) 475-4148
sbess@cycyouth.org
sschmitt@cycyouth.org

Mayor Mark Mallory hosted an event January 6 issuing a proclamation designating January as National Mentoring Month and citing Cincinnati as “The City that Mentors.” In speaking, the mayor provided statistics on mentoring and mentoring research, which the local NPR stations aired the following day.

The Cincinnati Youth Collaborative’s (CYC) additional events included:

• Mentor/Mentee Night with the Cincinnati Cyclones Hockey Team January 7 at the US Bank Arena.

• An Interfaith Working Breakfast January 8 and 23. Titled "Building Resources from the Inside Out," the event with 20 representatives from the faith community was the kick-off for an initiative to create a database of volunteer professional services, which each faith organization will register with a central organization as a way to provide "wrap-around" services for mentored young people and their families.

• A Most Vulnerable Youth Skill Builder January 12 focused on "Understanding Cultural Strength and Resiliency” in boys and young men.

• A New Mentor/Tutor Training January 13.

• A “Celebrate National Mentoring Month with Lunch” January 14 at Chick-fil-a, with 25 percent of the proceeds donated to CYC.

• A Thank You Reception January 15 celebrating 20 years of CYC student success stories. Hosted by Kent Wellington and John and Francie Pepper, the event recognized and thanked CYC loyal supporters (individuals, corporations and foundations) for their investment and commitment to success in the lives of students. Key staff members, board members and select students who shared their stories also attended.

• The Presidential Inauguration in Washington, D.C., January 18 – 21, where eight challenged youth (one homeless, two in foster care, two in a group home) witnessed the inauguration and participated in college tours and museum visits.

• Martin Luther King Day January 19, when CYC organized a community day of service around its Americorps ProjectReach winter wear clothing and shoe drive to benefit Lighthouse Youth Services.

• Hamilton County Commissioners proclaiming January as National Mentoring Month at their January 21 meeting.

• A Pearls of Wisdom Skill Builder January 21, including a panel discussion with seasoned mentors who shared wisdom, insight and experiences essential to creating successful mentor/mentee relationships.

• A Thank Your Mentor Day Luncheon January 22, supported by CYC’s Mentoring Network, and titled "The Magic of Mentoring Connections." Activities included County Commissioner David Pepper delivering a National Mentoring Month proclamation, entertainment by a professional magician, a keynote address, an introduction of the mentoring partnership members and awards given to mentors serving more than five years. More than 100 people attended.

• A Most Vulnerable Youth Skill Builder January 26, titled "Understanding Cultural Strength and Resiliency in Girls and Young Women."

Mentoring Center of Central Ohio (Columbus)
Marilyn Pritchett
(614) 839-2447
mpritchett@bbbscentralohio.org

The Mentoring Center of Central Ohio hosted a Mentor-Mentee FunDay January 17 at The Ohio State University in partnership with the Mount Leadership Society and university staff. Activities included games, sports, cooking, craft-making, break dancing and soccer clinics.

The Statehouse Mentoring Celebration and Thank Your Mentor Day followed January 22 with a reception and program, including a keynote speech from Gene Smith, athletic director for The Ohio State University. The event honored outstanding mentors, mentees, mentoring agencies and companies.

In media coverage, WBNS-10TV (CBS) produced and aired a mentor recruitment PSA, NBC4 and Time Warner Cable aired the National Mentoring Month PSA, and Clear Channel radio aired the national PSA.

The Mentoring Collaborative of Montgomery County (Riverside)
Kimberlee R. Gambrell
(937) 236-9965
Kim.gambrell@mcesc.org

OKLAHOMA
Oklahoma Foundation for Excellence (Oklahoma City)
Jennifer Geren
(405) 410-1523
jgeren@ofe.org

A mentoring advisory committee developed National Mentoring Month strategies for the Oklahoma Foundation for Excellence, including the first David L. Boren Mentoring Award Ceremony at the State Capitol January 22. To learn more about this honoree, visit www.okmentors.org.

ABC’s local Good Day Tulsa show January 26 featured mentoring award winner Larry “Ace” Parker.

The Foundation also publicized National Mentoring Month statewide through a general press release, a release about the Boren Mentoring Award and Web site resources.

Cheyenne and Arapaho Tribes (El Reno)
Francine Williams
405-422-7566
fwilliams@c-a-tribes.org

PENNSYLVANIA
Southeastern Pennsylvania United Way s Campaign for Mentors (Philadelphia)
Lynda Terrell
(215) 665-2476
Lynda@uwsepa.org

Anyone near the PEPCO public utility building in Philadelphia — including those driving on nearby highways — could see this message displayed in lights throughout the month: “Change a Life, Be a Mentor. Call 1-866-Mentor-3.”

United Way’s Campaign for Mentors also promoted National Mentoring Month through a stage play — Real Men Talking — presented January 24 in partnership with RMT Productions and the National CARES Mentoring Movement to promote dialogue among males, especially African-American males, and encourage audience members to become mentors.

Additional activities included Mentoring Night with the 76’ers basketball team January 31, sponsored by Comcast-Spectacor with give-a-ways for mentors and their mentees, refreshments and a celebrity guest appearance by the team mascot, World B. Free, Hip Hop, and the 76’ers cheerleaders.

During January, the local ABC television affiliate WPVI aired the National Mentoring Month PSA, and promotional pieces appeared in What Matters, a weekly electronic newsletter reaching more than 8,000 nonprofit organizations, government agencies, business leaders and elected officials.

A Shadowing Day February 3 will allow as many as 2,000 corporate employees to host ninth grade students from local public schools. The event will be a pre-mentoring activity for potential mentors and is a partnership among United Way of Southeastern Pennsylvania, Philadelphia Youth Network, Greater Philadelphia Chamber of Commerce and the School District of Philadelphia.

The Mentoring Partnership of Southwestern Pennsylvania (Pittsburgh)
Arlene Sparks
(412) 281-2535
asparks@mentoringpittsburgh.org

In Pittsburgh, the mayor, county council and county executive issued proclamations declaring January National Mentoring Month.

The Mentoring Partnership’s King ’09 Event January 19 used the afternoon to promote community service through mentoring, and the Thank Your Mentor Day Event January 22 gave local mentoring programs an opportunity to collaboratively host a press conference, distribute Thank Your Mentor cards and recruit mentors. During one Saturday in January, called “Super Saturday for Mentors,” the Mentoring Partnership hosted six different mentor trainings.

Mentor recruitment presentations also were made at two Rotary clubs, the Lamar Advertising Sales Department and a community networking meeting.

Media and promotional activities included launching a new Web site, purchasing 30 advertising billboards from Lamar and maintaining a Bayer digital sign on Mt. Washington.

Comcast aired a mentoring interview on their Newsmakers segment, and a television interview appeared on Talking Pittsburgh. Comcast and Fox television stations aired National Mentoring Month PSAs, as did WAMO radio. WYEP Radio produced and aired mentor story recordings, and radio stations WAMO, ESPN, Saturday Light Brigade (WRCT, WSAJ, WCUC, WIUP, WNJR), Pittsburgh Sunday Morning (3WS, WDVE, KISS, WXDE, WXDX), WISHFM, WJAS and WMNY aired mentoring interviews.

Pittsburgh Magazine printed an article on mentoring in the January issue, and the Pittsburgh Post Gazette advertised the King’ 09 event and mentoring as a key theme. Mentoring articles also appeared in several newsletters and e-mail blasts to local organizations.

The Mentoring Partnership of Southwestern Pennsylvania secured National Mentoring Month displays at five local businesses/locations, and in-house, the Partnership included a National Mentoring Month message on all e-mail signatures, voice mail messages, live phone answering and stickers on outgoing mail.

RHODE ISLAND
Rhode Island Mentoring Partnership (Warwick)
Jo-Ann Schofield
(401) 732-7700
jschofield@mentorRI.org

The Rhode Island Mentoring Partnership organized a “Call10” phone bank January 13, including a great mentor/mentee story that local television station NBC10 agreed to host indefinitely.

NBC10 and the local cable affiliate aired National Mentoring Month PSAs, and radio station Lite Rock 105 aired the Colin Powell PSA regularly. In addition, the Warwick Beacon, used print ads and covered the Partnership’s Excellence in Mentoring Awards January 26.

The Excellence in Mentoring Awards named Senator Sheldon Whitehouse as a “Champion of Mentoring” and honored 30 mentors, each representing a partnering program. In addition to certificates, they received citations signed by U.S. Senator Sheldon Whitehouse, U.S. Senator Jack Reed, Congressman James Langevin,

Congressman Patrick Kennedy, Rhode Island Governor Donald Carcieri, Lt. Governor Elizabeth Roberts, Rhode Island Senate President Teresa Paiva Weed and Speaker of the House, State Representative William Murphy. Approximately 300 guests attended the event in Cranston, where NBC10 reporter Mario Hilario was the Master of Ceremonies, appearing in a clip of the event aired on NBC news that night. Future event coverage will appear in the Providence Business News.

Finally, a National Mentoring Month banner will appear on the state landmark Big Blue Bug January 31 through February 14.

TENNESSEE
The Memphis Mentoring Partnership/Memphis Grizzlies Charitable Foundation
Alayne Shoenfeld
(901) 205-1253
ashoenfeld@grizzlies.com

Governor Phil Bredesen, Mayor A.C. Wharton of Shelby County and U.S. Representative Steve Cohen issued National Mentoring Month proclamations.

The Memphis Mentoring Partnership/Memphis Grizzlies Charitable Foundation lined up a number of National Mentoring Month events in January, including:

• TeamUp “Wings and Ribs” January 11 at Fox and Hound to watch the NFL playoff game and raise awareness about mentoring.

• A Quarterly Networking Breakfast January 13 for program leaders to discuss current issues and activities.

• A Grizzlies Charitable Foundation Funders Breakfast January 15 to inform attendees about the Elements of Effective Practice and discuss increased capacity and quality in mentoring.

• TeamUp at Mid-South Reads Coalition January 15 to address area nonprofits serving children and engage them in recruiting mentors.

• A Martin Luther King Jr. Day TEAM UP Breakfast January 19, where the Grizzlies Charitable Foundation and the Memphis Leadership Foundation co-host with individuals from the business, civic and faith-based sectors to encourage mentoring. The event featured a live satellite feed of General Colin Powell.

• A Brown Bag Lunch on Gang Awareness January 23 with a presentation from Ron Pope of Memphis City Schools as part of this continuing education series for volunteer mentors.

• A TeamUp Breakfast January 27 for local leaders to join this newly-reorganized leadership council.

• A TeamUp Leadership Luncheon January 27 to promote and celebrate mentoring with guest speaker Geoff Boisi, MENTOR’s cofounder.

  Grizzlies Mentoring Night January 27 at FedEx Forum, with the game dedicated to the approximately 750 mentors and mentees attending.

TEXAS
San Antonio Mentoring Forum
Belinda Saldana
210-458-2904
Belinda.dominguez@utsa.edu

The San Antonio Mentoring Forum hosted its Annual Mentor Recognition Luncheon January 21. The event raised funds for mentoring scholarships and programs and recognized the year’s outstanding adult mentor, college student mentor, high school student mentor, advocate for mentoring, corporate/business mentoring program and school mentoring program.

National Mentoring Month media coverage included the story that reporter Randy Beamer filed on Beamer’s World in which he wrote, among other things: “Become a mentor. Help a young person. You can change their life and yours at the same time.”

UTAH
Utah Mentoring Partnership (Salt Lake City)
Barbara Drake
(801) 468-2919
bdrake@slco.org

Attorney General Mark Schutleff was the keynote speaker for the Utah Mentoring Partnership’s Legislative Breakfast
January 26 to promote National Mentoring Month.

Local television partners ABC and NBC aired National Mentoring Month PSAs, as did six local radio stations.

VERMONT
Mobius, The Mentoring Movement (Burlington)
Tracy M. MacLean
(802) 658-1888
tracy@mobiusmentors.org

Mobius, The Mentoring Movement hosted a Mentor Expo January 17 where Chittenden County mentor organizations promoted their programs at the University Mall in South Burlington. The event included games and other activities.

The January 22 Thank Your Mentor Breakfast was at the Contois Auditorium to celebrate mentors in Chittenden County. Awards were given to mentors of more than five years and to individuals nominated from each of the county’s 20 mentor programs.

Restaurants Tilley's Café, The Bearded Frog, Pauline's Café and American Flatbread donated a portion of their evening proceeds one night apiece to Mobius, The Mentoring Movement.

VIRGINIA
Fairfax Mentoring Partnership
Kristen E. Brennan
(703) 324-5701
Kristen.brennan@fairfaxcounty.gov

The Fairfax Mentoring Partnership entered into a regional collaboration with the Maryland Mentoring Partnership and FOX-5 television station to produce a mentor recruitment telethon January 26, which aired throughout the Washington, D.C., viewing area.

The Partnership also hosted a Mentoring Open House to celebrate Thank Your Mentor Day January 22, sponsored by Cox Communications. The event included a reception and light dinner for past, current and future mentors, mentoring program providers and community mentoring supporters.

Cox Communications aired the National Mentoring Month television PSA.

Virginia Mentoring Partnership (Richmond)
Rebekah Holbrook
(804) 828-1536
raholbrook@vcu.edu

In Richmond, television station NBC12 sponsored and aired customized 30-second spots on local mentoring throughout January. The spots featured youth from local public schools and mentors from Capital One. NBC12 also aired the national PSA throughout the month, as well as a Noon News interview on mentoring.

Comcast aired a mentoring spot in January on their Newsmakers segment and will air the spot in February as well. Bus ads were placed with GRTC in January and will remain in place through March. And Virginia Commonwealth University printed a story in its newsletter on university students and staff who mentor in the community.
With an expected rise in mentor interest, the Virginia Mentoring Partnership offered mentoring orientation sessions January 21, 24 and 28.

Finally, the Seventh Annual Virginia Mentoring Awards and Workshops is scheduled for February 12. Two outstanding mentors and mentoring programs in Virginia will receive awards.

WASHINGTON
Washington State Mentors (Issaquah)
Janae Frisch
(425) 416-2034
jfrisch@wamentors.org

Washington State Mentors distributed seven $250 mini-grants to King, Pierce, Thurston, Kitsap, Grays Harbor, Clark and Spokane counties to encourage mentoring organizations to celebrate Thank Your Mentor Day and National Mentoring Month in their communities.

The organization also conducted an awareness campaign with media outlets, resulting in various radio stations airing the national PSA statewide, as did a number of local television stations, including those in Seattle, Spokane, Olympia and Vancouver. Washington State Mentors promoted a new Web site launching in February as well.

A targeted advocacy campaign allowed Washington State Mentors to visit legislative meetings and hearings with board members and mentoring organization staff to advocate for mentoring on a state level.

Washington State Mentors supported the Guiding Lights Weekend, an experiential conference on the art of mentoring.