Clubs Celebrate National Mentoring Month 2010
January 2010 marked the ninth year of the National Mentoring Month Campaign sponsored by the Harvard School of Public Health, MENTOR, and the Corporation for National and Community Service. Each year since its inception, the President of the United States endorses the campaign by proclaiming January as National Mentoring Month. The 27 Boys & Girls Clubs that implement the National Native American Mentoring Program (NNAMP) are encouraged to follow suit.
Participation in the National Mentoring Month campaign at the local level provides the Clubs with an opportunity to honor the mentors and draw attention to the importance of positive, stable relationships for youth. It also allows the Clubs to highlight their activities and programs, and offers a chance to attract new mentor and mentee recruits to the program.
Clubs celebrate National Mentoring Month by hosting mentor dinners, community service projects, open houses, and events at the Club. These events aim to raise community awareness of the program, recruit new participants and honor the mentors. Many Clubs do something special for mentors on January 21st, which is “Thank Your Mentor Day.” Below are just a few of the Club highlights from the 2010 National Mentoring Month.
The Boys & Girls Club of the Northern Cheyenne Nation, MT held an open house for the community. The mentoring program used the event as a recruitment opportunity and set up an information booth with refreshments. Additionally, they hosted a mentor appreciation dinner, which was attended by Tribal Council members. The council members used the opportunity to recognize the mentors for serving the youth of the community.
The Boys & Girls Club of Sequoyah County, OK celebrated with a mentor appreciation dinner where the mentors were presented with handmade gifts and thank-you cards from program participants. They also had the local paper run a story on the Club’s mentoring program and National Mentoring Month.
The Boys & Girls Club of Grand Traverse, MI organized a community service project where volunteers gathered to shovel snow for the elderly. They also partnered with the UNITY Council, comprised of older high school kids, for a spaghetti dinner and cookie-baking party. Their National Mentoring Month activities resulted in six new mentor recruits for the program!
For their event, the Boys & Girls Clubs of the Dine Nation – Crownpoint Unit, NM held a mentoring recognition dinner where they presented mentors with certificates of recognition and small gifts. They also held a community service event where school supplies were distributed to children in the community.
In addition to holding events to honor mentors, January is an important time for the NNAMP to raise awareness, boost participation and encourage a sense of community. Many can remember mentors from their own lives that had an influence over their development and decision-making. National Mentoring Month is a good time to reconnect with those important faces from the past and give thanks. It’s also a great time to consider giving back to the youth in your community by getting involved in mentoring. Expand your universe. Mentor a child! |
