Covington, KY – January is National Mentoring Month, and this year Covington Partners is celebrating the annual campaign aimed at expanding quality mentoring opportunities to connect more of our community’s young people with caring adults by hosting a #ThankYourMentor Breakfast and Lunch on Thursday, January 25 at Holmes High School.

“Our volunteer mentors provide an invaluable service to our students. They take the time to listen, guide and support our students both academically and personally and we cannot thank them enough,” said Stacie Strotman, Executive Director of Covington Partners.

Research shows that mentors play a powerful role in providing young people with the tools to make responsible choices, attend and engage in school, and reduce or avoid risky behavior like drug use. In turn, these young people are:

·         55% more likely to be enrolled in college

·         81% more likely to report participating regularly in sports or extracurricular activities.

·         78% more likely to volunteer regularly in their communities

·         More than twice as likely to say they held a leadership position in a club or sports team.

Yet, the same research shows that one in three young people in our country will grow up without a mentor. National Mentoring Month is the time of year where engagement from community members interested in becoming a mentor is highest. This year, with the support of our community, we are encouraging the public to go beyond just digital engagement – and become involved in real life. Mentoring relationships are at their best when connections are made between a caring adult and a young person who knows that someone is there to help guide them through those real life decisions.

The Covington Partners Mentoring Program matches students in grades 3-12 with positive adult role models from the community. There are currently 229 caring adults serving as mentors in Covington and we know that their commitment is making a difference. During the 2016-17 school year, 75% of students with a mentor had good school attendance and 79% of students with a mentor had good school behavior. 33 mentored students graduated in June 2017 as their mentor watched from the stands – of those, 86% are currently enrolled in a post-secondary institution. There are a variety of mentoring options to meet any schedule; including options to meet during lunch or afterschool. Time commitments range from 30 minutes per week to two hours per month.

For more information, please contact Renee Mains at (859) 392-3188 or renee.mains@covington.kyschools.us.