Since 2002, the Mentoring Movement unites in celebration of National Mentoring Month every January and uses the power of our collective voice to recruit new mentors, advance the mentoring field’s legislative priorities, and drive meaningful change for young people.

This January, stand beside MENTOR Virginia and spread the positivity that is MENTORING! We know the value of mentoring and the power it has in uplifting youth, so what isn’t there to celebrate? Don’t know how to get involved? MENTOR Virginia is here to help!

Elevate Mentoring

1. Share on Social Media

Spread the word about National Mentoring Month on any of your social media platforms and celebrate the work of your mentoring program or your mentoring relationship. Tell your audience why mentoring is important and what it means to your community. When you post, tag @vamentoring and use #MentoringMonth.

2. Post a Blog

Need more word space to share the positive impact of mentoring? Post a blog! For statistics of why mentoring matters, check out our website. Don’t have a blog of your own? Connect with us about writing a feature for MENTOR Virginia!   

3. Share Mentoring Stories

During National Mentoring Month, it is important that we also elevate youth voices and mentoring relationships. If you are involved with a mentoring program, encourage mentors and mentees to share what they mean to each other in a video and share it on social media. Or share on your blog or in an e-blast to your network how a mentee and mentor were matched and what their relationship has meant to them. For an example of how to tell a mentoring story, read some examples here.

Celebrate Together

4. Host an Open House

Use National Mentoring Month as a platform to amplify your program’s mentor recruitment efforts! Recruit mentors by inviting them to an open house where they can meet other mentors and mentees in your program. Facilitate a few mentoring activities so prospective mentors can see and experience mentoring in action. This can also be adjusted to a virtual event!

5. Have an Info Session for Companies

Engage corporate partners by hosting a brown bag lunch with prospective employee mentors. Focus on raising their awareness of your local mentoring gap and the existing opportunities to connect with youth. For more ways to leverage corporate engagement in mentoring, check out this toolkit.

6. Gather Mentors and Mentees to Celebrate Mentoring

Who doesn’t love a party? Host an in-person or virtual party with your mentors and mentees to celebrate mentoring! Attendees can share how mentoring has impacted them. Include fun activities and games to get everyone involved.

Advocate

7. Contact your Governor

Reach out to your governor and request they issue a proclamation honoring National Mentoring Month in Virginia! A proclamation is a formal recognition and declaration from elected officials for special events and occasions being honored in your state. Or, encourage your governor or state officials to permit their employees to serve as volunteer mentors utilizing their paid volunteer leave. Make the case as a means of reducing your state’s mentee waitlist and increasing mentor recruitment efforts.

8. Contact your Mayor

Work with your mayor’s office to host a mentor recruitment campaign that they champion during National Mentoring Month. Or, invite them to get involved by posting on social media or attending an event you’re hosting as a VIP guest. You can also nominate your mayor to be a Mayor For Mentoring.

9. Contact Member of Congress

Join MENTOR Virginia and your colleagues from around the state for a day of mentoring advocacy on Wednesday, January 26th! Capitol Hill Day is an opportunity for Members of Congress and their staff to connect with mentors, advocates, program coordinators, and young people and hear about the issues they are facing and how legislation can help. Learn more and sign up here!

Not sure where to get started with advocacy during National Mentoring Month? Check out this toolkit for resources and tips for contacting government officials.

Learn & Engage

10. Learn About Hosting an AmeriCorps VISTA

By partnering with mentoring programs to host full-time AmeriCorps VISTA Members who build capacity, MENTOR Virginia supports the expansion of high-quality, high-impact mentoring services that empower youth across the Commonwealth. Join us for a learning session on Thursday, January 20th to learn how your program can apply to host an AmeriCorps member.

11. Join the *New & Updated* Mentoring Connector to Recruit More Mentors

The Mentoring Connector has been refreshed! Every year, potential volunteers looking for mentoring opportunities conduct over 80,000 searches on the Connector. Thanks to a cleaner interface, more specific search filters, and a system to improve communication between programs and mentors, the only national database for finding mentoring opportunities has never been easier to use. You can enroll your mentoring program here! 

12. Attend the National Mentoring Summit

The National Mentoring Summit is the only national convening of youth mentoring professionals, researchers, MENTOR Affiliates, philanthropic investors, and government and civic leaders aimed at collectively strengthening and expanding quality mentoring relationships for young people across the country. The 2022 National Mentoring Summit will be held from January 26 – 28 beginning with Capitol Hill Day before two full days of workshops and networking opportunities. Learn more here! 

Become a Mentor

13. Find a Mentoring Program to Volunteer With

Using the Mentoring Connector, the only national database of mentoring programs, you can search for a variety of programs in your community and connect with them directly about volunteering. Find a program today and start your mentoring journey. 

14. Become a Better Mentor

Becoming a Better Mentor: Strategies to Be There for Young People is MENTOR’s new resource designed for the everyday mentor and full of real-world advice. This free resource will benefit any adult looking for actionable ways to support a young person. Want to learn more about how adults can use this guide to make a difference in young people’s lives? Register for our upcoming webinar on January 14 at 1 pm!

We want to hear from you!

How are you celebrating National Mentoring Month? Share on social media and tag @vamentoring so we can elevate your program.