Through the Youth Advocates for Mentoring program, MENTOR trains 12 young leaders on advocacy, policy, and grassroots organizing skills in order to create positive change in their communities and nation. MENTOR believes that young people must be at the forefront of addressing systemic issues and that this comprehensive training program provides young people the real life skills they need to communicate with elected officials, address issues in their communities, empower their peers into action, and advocate for the power of mentoring. MENTOR is a non-partisan organization that seeks to fuel the quantity and quality of mentoring relationships for America’s young people and to close the mentoring gap.

Founded in 2002, the bipartisan Congressional Youth Mentoring Caucus hosts briefings and events to share information about the important work and obstacles that youth mentoring programs across the nation face every day. Youth mentoring is an evidence-based intervention that enhances life outcomes for young people and mentors. Research has proven it to be a powerful strategy to reduce the number of youth disconnected from school and work, increase social and economic mobility, and create a more productive and prosperous nation. Unfortunately, however, one in three young people is currently growing up without a mentor in the United States at some point in their childhood, constituting a “mentoring gap” that demonstrates a need for collaborative investment in mentoring services.

Through information sharing, network building and action on legislation, the Congressional Youth Mentoring Caucus hopes to close the ‘mentoring gap’ and build sustained congressional support for the national mentoring movement.