January 20, 2015 - This month will mark the 14th annual National Mentoring Month, and Covington Partners is participating in this campaign aimed at expanding quality mentoring opportunities to connect more of our community’s young people with positive adult role models. “Mentoring is one of the most cost-effective and research-based strategies to make a positive impact on the life of a student,” said Stacie Strotman, Executive Director of Covington Partners.  “Mentoring is linked to improved academic, social and economic prospects for young people, and that ultimately strengthens our community.”

 

Research has shown that when matched through a quality one-on-one mentoring program, mentors can play a powerful role in providing young people with the tools to make responsible decisions, stay focused and engaged in school, and reduce or avoid risky behavior like skipping school, drug use and other negative activities.

 

For example, during the 2013-2014 school year:

• 91% of students with a mentor had good school attendance.   

• Mentors spent 3,300 hours meeting one-on-one with their mentees.

• There were 205 positive adult role models serving as mentors. 

In addition to the data, the stories we hear from mentors are just as valuable.

• Keith Bales has been consistently showing up for Jovan for almost 7 years!  Keith and Jovan enjoy playing games, learning card and magic tricks, and developing new strategies for studying and improving academics.
• DeMyra and Ms. Anna have been after-school buddies at John G. Carlisle Elementary School since this past spring. They enjoy playing games like Go Fish and Tic Tac Toe, learning card tricks, drawing, and just hanging out together. Ms. Anna says she has grown as a mentor and realizes the time the pair spends together has an impact on her, not just DeMyra. Being a mentor has helped her to focus on what is really important in her life, Ms. Anna said. One of those things is spending time with DeMyra, and Ms. Anna feels that their relationship has really turned into a true friendship.

 

This year Covington Partners is celebrating our volunteer mentors:

 

• Thursday, January 22: High School mentors will meet with their mentee at their regularly scheduled time in the Holmes High School Library where they will enjoy refreshments and mentors will share their Throw Back Thursday photos of when they were in high school.  Mentors will get thank you cards and a small gift.

• Friday, January 23: Middle School mentors will meet with their mentee at their regularly scheduled time in the Holmes Middle School Welcome Center where they will enjoy refreshments. Mentors will get thank you cards and a small gift.

• Week of January 26: Elementary mentors will find thank you cards and gifts from their mentees in their mentoring folders at their school.