The Mentoring Partnership of New York
To be an ADVOCATE for the expansion of quality mentoring opportunities for New York City youth and a RESOURCE for mentors and mentoring initiatives citywide. Learn More
Fundraising: National Mentoring Partnership, Inc.
Donations go to:
National Mentoring Partnership, Inc. (a 501(c)(3) nonprofit)
For nearly two decades, MENTOR has worked to expand the world of quality youth mentoring. In cooperation with a strong national network of mentoring partnerships throughout the country and with more than 4,100 mentoring programs nationwide, MENTOR helps to connect young Americans who want and need caring adults in their lives with the power of mentoring.
We seek to leverage resources and provide the tools that local mentoring programs need to operate high-quality mentoring, build greater awareness of the need for mentors, and raise the profile of mentoring among corporate leaders, foundation executives, policymakers, and researchers. As such, the ultimate beneficiaries of our work are the millions of young people who are currently benefiting from the guidance of caring adult mentors.
MENTOR is committed to continued service as the national clearinghouse for best practices and national standards, tools and resources, advocacy and public opinion and collaboration with partners nationwide in pursuit of the greater good: closing the national mentoring gap ? 15 million ? so that all of America?s youth may benefit from a caring adult.
Recent Cause Activity
MENTOR Celebrates SafetyNET During Crime Prevention Month
October 7, 2009: With October being National Crime Prevention Month, MENTOR applauds the National Crime Prevention Council for promoting awareness of important issues, such as victimization, especially in the mentoring community where it is critical to prevent the wrong people from connecting with America's children.
One of the most effective tools MENTOR uses to protect children is SafetyNET, which allows mentoring organizations to conduct fingerprint-based criminal background checks on potential mentors through the FBI's master criminal record database. These records include state criminal data, as well as federal offenses. SafetyNET operations are sponsored by identity theft protection champion LifeLock.
"Nearly 65,000 FBI fingerprint checks have been conducted through the PROTECT Act pilot over the past five years, and 6.1 percent of potential volunteers were found to have criminal records of concern – more than 2,000 individuals," said Tonya Wiley, MENTOR's chief administrative officer. "MENTOR is proud to be executing the SafetyNET pilot, which has helped protect countless children in youth-serving organizations."
"Until the SafetyNET pilot program was launched, it was very difficult for mentoring organizations to determine criminal records of individuals across state lines. LifeLock's commitment to safety for all Americans, especially our most vulnerable children, is unwavering," said Todd Davis, CEO of LifeLock. "Sponsoring the operations for SafetyNET is something we simply had to do."
SafetyNET is the precursor to what MENTOR hopes will be a permanent system for obtaining criminal background checks on volunteers who work with children. It began in 2003, when Congress passed a criminal background check pilot program as part of the PROTECT Act. The program is the culmination of several years of advocacy undertaken because available criminal background check systems were often cumbersome, expensive and inaccessible.
The SafetyNET pilot will continue until January 31, 2010. MENTOR, LifeLock and others are working with Congress on legislation that would create a permanent successor to SafetyNET (H.R. 5606 and S. 2756).
For more information on SafetyNET, visit http://www.mentoring.org/safetynet .
Disney Parks Hopes to Inspire 1 Million Volunteers Beginning January 1, 2010
Disney Parks has announced a new program that celebrates the spirit of volunteer service with a simple proposition: "Give a Day, Get a Disney Day."
Disney hopes to inspire families to volunteer in their communities during 2010 through this first of its kind program. One million people who perform volunteer service for a participating organization will receive a free one-day admission ticket to a Walt Disney World Resort or Disneyland Resort theme park. While the "Give a Day, Get a Disney Day" program kicks off Jan. 1, right now guests can learn more about the program and how to get their free one-day admission to a Walt Disney World or Disneyland theme park by visiting www.DisneyParks.com Read the full press release.
Television Shows Promote Volunteering the week of October 19 – 25!
http://www.mentoring.org/news/147/
Television Shows Promote Volunteering
September 29, 2009: Television viewers will notice the week of October 19 – 25 that their favorite characters and actors are promoting volunteerism to a level never before seen in the entertainment industry.
The effort is part of a multi-year initiative from the Entertainment Industry Foundation (EIF) titled "I Participate," which will encourage Americans to embrace a new way of thinking about service and aims to persuade millions of people to volunteer regularly.
"We are trying to broaden the collective national conversation about service," said EIF's President and CEO Lisa Paulsen. Added supporter and Tony-Award-Winning Actress Bernadette Peters, "I think it's important to help people and causes that need our help. The 'I Participate' campaign will ultimately involve all segments of the entertainment community including film studios, the recording industry, Broadway and others."
More than 70 daytime and primetime television shows on ABC, CBS, FOX, NBC and additional networks will spotlight service through scripted programming, segments and public service announcements with inspirational messages and storylines about volunteerism.
"We are grateful to EIF for choosing service as the centerpiece for this long-term campaign," said MENTOR's Chief Administrative Officer Tonya Wiley. "We know that Mentoring Partnerships and mentoring programs across the country will be able to use these extremely visible opportunities to recruit mentors from an even broader pool. The most wonderful outcome, of course, will be to see an increase in the number of children who are matched with caring adults as a result of EIF's commitment."
To date, EIF has received formal support for "I Participate" from the television networks, AARP, Medco Health Solutions, Major League Baseball and UnitedHealthcare. Celebrities participating in the recent campaign launch in New York City were Ashton Kutcher, Tyler Perry, Randy Jackson, Christine Baranski, Fran Drescher, Sway Calloway, Kenneth Cole, Rocco DiSpirito, Kelley Menighan Hensley, Bernadette Peters, Cameron Mathison, Tim Daly, Lee Ann Womack, Constantine Maroulis, Jeff Francoeur and Al Leiter.
EIF is the leading charitable organization of the entertainment industry, having distributed hundreds of millions of dollars to support programs addressing critical health, education and social issues. For more information about "I Participate," visit www.iparticipate.org .
Minnesota Man Rollerblades to D.C. for Mentoring
September 1, 2009: These are the words Gary Walters wrote on his blog August 8, the day he began rollerblading 1,300 miles from Brainerd, Minnesota, to Washington, D.C., to promote mentoring: "The reason for all these events is that if good people give a little to a kid, then our world will be better."
Gary's rollerblading odyssey is the latest in his series of feats to raise money and awareness for his local youth mentoring program – Kinship Partners, Inc. – and for mentoring in general. To date, contributions total almost $9,000.
Kinship Partners is a part of the Mentoring Partnership of Minnesota's network of more than 500 mentoring programs. "We have to applaud Gary and his family for their commitment to recruiting mentors for youth who would really benefit from a mentoring relationship," said Judith Kahn, interim executive director of the Mentoring Partnership of Minnesota. "Sometimes it takes extraordinary actions by ordinary people to get the message across – that not everyone can (or would want to!) rollerblade across the country, but everyone can be a positive force in the life of a child."
Over the past six years, Gary's activities have included biking from New Orleans to Brainerd, walking across Minnesota and living on the local, historic water tower for nine days. Each challenge has raised between $7,000 and $25,000 for Kinship Partners. This trip, which Gary is making with his 15-year-old son rollerblading by his side and his wife and daughter following in a vehicle, will end September 9, when U.S. Rep. Jim Oberstar (D-Minn.) meets him on the steps of the U.S. Capitol building.
Along the way, Gary is meeting with mentoring groups and getting as much publicity as possible. When he returns home, he will go back to his insurance business.
Another blog entry reads: "Kids are the future of our world, and all kids need the guidance and love of an adult. Some don't get this at home, or at least not enough. Thus mentoring programs are there to fill the gap."
To follow Gary and/or make a donation, go to http://www.whatisgarygoingtodo.com/ . For more information about mentoring, visit www.mentoring.org .
MENTOR's Online Data Tracking Tool Being Used Across America
August 25, 2009: From Washington to Florida, mentoring programs are using MENTOR's online data tracking and analysis tool to manage information and, ultimately, make mentoring relationships more effective.
To date, nearly 10,000 young people are supported with this state-of-the-art tool called MentorPRO®, which was designed to help better manage programs, enhance mentoring relationships and evaluate outcomes.
Sixteen Mentoring Partnerships across the country, 440 mentoring programs and more than 700 staff members use MentorPRO with its standardized measures and common system for collecting, tracking and analyzing data online.
"We developed MentorPRO so that mentoring programs can move to the next level in not only keeping information but also in being able to share that information and use it to improve their programs," said MENTOR's Chief Administrative Officer Tonya Wiley. "We are happy with the way Mentoring Partnerships are integrating this tool into their communities because it will, over time, undoubtedly, enhance program quality."
MENTOR works with the full network of Mentoring Partnerships to roll-out MentorPRO to eligible programs in their state or community. Each Mentoring Partnership and the mentoring programs selected go through a two-step training process of an online introductory session followed by an intensive, in-person training. After training and registration, the mentoring programs are eligible to use MentorPRO.
The 16 Mentoring Partnerships currently using MentorPRO are: The Mentoring Partnership of New York, Mentoring Partnership of Long Island (NY), Washington State Mentors, Mentor Michigan, The Mentoring Partnership of Southwestern Pennsylvania (Pittsburgh), Oregon Mentors, Maryland Mentoring Partnership, Volunteer Center of Southern Arizona, Virginia Mentoring Partnership, Mass Mentoring Partnership, Connecticut Mentoring Partnership, Rhode Island Mentoring Partnership, Georgia Mentoring Partnership, Memphis Mentoring Partnership/Grizzlies Foundation, Mentor Center of Palm Beach County (FL) and Mobius, The Mentoring Movement (VT).
For more information regarding MentorPRO's availability in your community, please contact Kim Jessup, director of MentorPRO, at kjessup@mentoring.org .
Great news!
Tiger Woods has officially committed to play in The Barclays, taking place in Jersey City, NJ at Liberty National from August 27-30. As you are already aware, The Mentoring Partnership of NY is partnering with The Barclays through TICKETS Fore CHARITY. Through this program, 75% of the net proceeds from every ticket $45 daily grounds pass purchased on behalf of MPNY goes directly to our organization.
To Purchase tickets go to: http://www.mentoring.org/newyork...
Again, this is a fantastic way to support us while also watching Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson, and the rest of the top 125 players on the PGA TOUR compete vie for the FedExCup! You may never get another opportunity to see Tiger Woods right in your own backyard!
Mentoring Programs Ready As School Bells Ring Again
August 18, 2009: As children begin a new school year across America, mentoring programs are gearing up to find qualified mentors for students who want and need a caring adult in their lives.
That is how Andrew DeJesus met his mentor Bill Calder in Plainville, Connecticut, 10 years ago. He was a shy third-grader whose tutoring from Bill in school became a mentoring relationship that culminated in Andrew's high school graduation and scholarship to college. "He always comes through for me," Andrew commented about Bill. "If it wasn't for him, I wouldn't have done as well as I did. I wouldn't be going to college."
Approximately 30 percent of mentoring programs reside in elementary, middle and high schools. Mentor/mentee pairs meet either during school hours or immediately after, and they often have a designated meeting place within the building. Their activities can include tutoring, working on homework and playing sports and games. Typically, this type of mentoring asks the mentor for a commitment of at least one school year.
Another new and promising school-based mentoring effort is happening in Pittsburgh. The Mentoring Partnership of Southwestern Pennsylvania is one of several partners for United Way's Be A 6th Grade Mentor project, which was designed to help youth become aware of jobs in the area, have a career dream that provides motivation, and understand the relevance of completing school and being able to read, write and do math adequately to achieve a career and lifelong success. Colleen Fedor, executive director of the Mentoring Partnership of Southwestern Pennsylvania, reported that 625 mentors have been recruited already and said, "This year, with the Be A 6th Grade Mentor project, Pittsburghers have truly stepped up and answered the call to a level that we have never seen before."
The latest research available on school-based mentoring shows that this form of mentoring has potential if done in a quality way – with mentor training, staff support and maintenance efforts, such as summer contact between mentors and mentees – and if it is adapted to suit various ages, as well as the specific needs of boys and girls.
For more information and resources on school-based mentoring, read MENTOR's sixth installment of its Research In Action series at http://www.mentoring.org/downloa... .
To read additional success stories about school-based mentoring pairs, go to http://www.mentoring.org/mentors... .
Support The Mentoring Partnership of New York through TICKETS Fore CHARITY™
The Mentoring Partnership of New York (MPNY) is proud to partner with the Barclays golf tournament through TICKETS Fore CHARITY, a fundraising program designed to generate revenue for local charities where PGA TOUR tournaments are held.
MPNY has the opportunity to promote the sale of tournament tickets with 100% of the net proceeds from the ticket sales going to charity. 75% of the proceeds will benefit MPNY and 25% will benefit The First Tee of Metropolitan New York, a program which teaches young people life skills through golf.
Purchase tickets to The FedEX Cup August 27-30 at Libery National Golf Club:
http://www.mentoring.org/newyork...
MENTOR Helping in President's Call to Service: August 11, 2009: MENTOR has joined with other national nonprofit organizations in aggregating volunteer service opportunities that will support the President and First Lady Obama's United We Serve campaign for voluntarism.
For More Information http://www.mentoring.org/news/141/
MENTOR's Research and Policy Council Honors Presidential Appointees
August 4, 2009: At its Research and Policy Council meeting last week, MENTOR honored four Presidential appointees who contributed greatly to the growth of mentoring in America.
Those honored were David Eisner of the Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS), Robert Flores of the Department of Justice, Deborah Price of the Department of Education, and Harry Wilson of the Department of Health and Human Services.
"These champions of mentoring during the Bush administration worked within their departments to further the cause of mentoring," said MENTOR's Chief Administrative Officer Tonya Wiley. "Their collective efforts gave rise to new forms of programming, greater availability of funding for mentoring programs and a coordinated approach to interagency leadership around mentoring among key federal agencies. On behalf of the thousands of children who have mentors today because of them, MENTOR is deeply grateful."
MENTOR's Research and Policy Council launched in 2006 to promote greater exchange among practitioners, policymakers and researchers in order to strengthen the practice of youth mentoring. The Council is lead by Dr. Jean Rhodes of the University of Massachusetts in Boston, its chair, and David Van Patten, president of Dare Mighty Things, and vice chair.
Last week's meeting in Alexandria, Virginia, included a status report on a new meta-analysis of mentoring being conducted by Dr. David DuBois the University of Illinois, Chicago, an advice session on the latest draft of the third edition of mentoring standards known as the Elements of Effective Practice, a round robin on recently-completed mentoring research and a discussion of the Department of Education's recently released assessment of its school-based mentoring program.
Guest speakers in addition to those honored were Marian Heard, MENTOR's vice chair, along with new administration appointees who are playing a leading role in mentoring, Kristin McSwain, chief of program operations for CNCS and Robert Grimm, director of Research and Policy Development for CNCS.
For more information about MENTOR's Research and Policy Council, visit http://www.mentoring.org/rpc/
MENTOR Rallying to Save Funding for School-based Mentoring
July 21, 2009: MENTOR is rallying the national mentoring community to convince Congress to restore $50 million for mentoring program grants in the U.S. Department of Education's FY 2010 budget.
In the House of Representatives, these funds were cut in the Labor/Health and Human Services/Education Appropriations Subcommittee and the cut approved Friday by the Appropriations Committee.
MENTOR has launched a campaign in response to these cuts, urging mentoring organizations, as well as individuals, to call and write their U.S. Senators immediately, asking that this $50 million be restored. The Senate Labor/Health and Human Services/Education Appropriations Subcommittee will decide the fate of this money July 28.
"Hundreds of thousands of young people are mentored through school-based programs, which would face extinction if this grant money is cut," said MENTOR's Chief Administrative Officer Tonya Wiley. "Research shows that well-run mentoring programs in our schools help young people stay in school and become better prepared to continue in their academic pursuits. We urge Congressional leaders to do two things: restore funding and strengthen grant requirements."
MENTOR has stressed that excellence in school-based mentoring is achieved by using the research-based guide to quality mentoring practices known as the Elements of Effective Practice TM. Now going into its third edition, the widely-used Elements were created using evidence-based practices that are strongly associated with positive outcomes for mentored youth.
Numerous members of the House and Senate have been champions for mentoring in this effort. To see their letters to Appropriations Subcommittee leaders advocating for federal mentoring dollars, go to http://www.mentoring.org/downloa... and http://www.mentoring.org/downloa... .
To join the call to save this funding and to read more about the issue, go to http://www.mentoring.org/news/137/ .
MENTOR Releases Guide for Recruiting Older Mentors
July 14, 2009: MENTOR has just published and released The Wisdom of Age: A Staff Guide — a handbook to recruiting and most effectively working with the growing number of older Americans who could be volunteer mentors.
Researched and written by Dr. Andrea Taylor, director of Youth Development and Family Support at Temple University's Center for Intergenerational Learning and a member of MENTOR's Research and Policy Council, The Wisdom of Age was made possible by a grant from the Charles Stewart Mott Foundation.
The guide explores current statistics and research regarding this population, breaking it down into three distinct categories and explaining the characteristics of each. "Having a better understanding of these groups and knowing their expectations will help mentoring organizations recruit more effectively and work with older mentors in ways that they will enjoy and find most productive," said Tonya Wiley, MENTOR's chief administrative officer.
"By not engaging adults over 50, programs are losing millions of potential mentors, and young people are losing the opportunity to benefit from the wisdom of age," according to the guide. "If we recruited just 5 percent of people between 56 and 70, we could increase our mentor pool by more than six million."
The Wisdom of Age has a companion guide for mentors that includes a collection of tools and resources for older adults participating in intergenerational mentoring relationships. This handbook offers support, builds skills and strengthens confidence of older mentors through practical, hands-on applications and activities.
To download these publications, go to http://www.mentoring.org/downloa... for the guide for staff and http://www.mentoring.org/downloa... for the handbook for mentors. For more information, contact Kate Schineller at kschineller@mentoring.org .
MENTOR and LifeLock® Partner to Protect Children from Identity Theft
July 7, 2009: A partnership between MENTOR and LifeLock, the leading identity theft protection company, is aiming to educate the public about the dangers of child identity theft.
Under the partnership, LifeLock is a sponsor of MENTOR's SafetyNET program and a supporter of efforts to encourage passage of the federal Child Protection Improvements Act, which would make SafetyNET permanent. SafetyNET has become a vital tool for mentoring programs to conduct nationwide background checks on potential mentors. LifeLock and MENTOR will work together to further enhance this program by developing "Safety Days" focusing on potential identity theft risks and protection tips. LifeLock also will offer identity theft protection at a discounted rate to MENTOR affiliates.
The Federal Trade Commission reports that identity theft is a rapidly growing crime, even for children. Recent statistics show an identity theft increase of nearly 10 percent over the last two years for Americans 19 and younger. Most young people and their parents are unaware of an attack until they need clean credit to apply for a job or a student loan and then find unfounded debt and their credit ruined.
"This crime can be so devastating, but imagine being a victim at a young age and unaware that your identity has been compromised until years after the fact," said LifeLock Vice President of Corporate Communications Mike Prusinski. "Our partnership with MENTOR is an important step in educating families and our youth about the dangers of identity theft. It is our hope that, through our collaborative efforts, we will be able to better arm consumers — young and old — with the tools they need to protect themselves from becoming a victim."
Tonya Wiley, MENTOR's chief administrative officer, added, "We believe in the power of quality mentoring relationships, and part of our work in nurturing positive programs throughout the country is ensuring the safety for the youths involved. Our partnership with LifeLock helps us educate our partners around the country about possible identity theft risks, as well as guide us in further improving our mentor selection processes. We hope that our awareness campaigns will aid in the fight against this destructive crime."
For more information about the MENTOR/LifeLock partnership, contact Ellen Christman at 703-224-2255.
Mentoring Partnerships from Across the U.S. Attend MENTOR States Caucus
June 30, 2009: The Memphis Mentoring Partnership/Grizzlies Foundation rolled out the red carpet for colleagues from 22 Mentoring Partnerships attending last week's States Caucus meeting in Memphis, TN.
Highlights of the June 22 - 24 meeting included participation and comments from MENTOR's Board Chair Willem Kooyker, as well as the presentation of the annual Manza Excellence in Leadership Award to David Shapiro, president and CEO of the Mass Mentoring Partnership, based in Boston. This award recognizes a Mentoring Partnership executive who demonstrates outstanding leadership in a successful partnership, is actively involved with MENTOR to advance the national effort and serves as a mentor to nurture other professional colleagues in the field.
"I would like to say a heartfelt thank you to the Memphis Mentoring Partnership/Grizzlies Foundation for their outstanding help in organizing this valuable States Caucus meeting," noted MENTOR's Chief Administrative Officer Tonya Wiley. "I also want to thank Wim Kooyker for his steadfast involvement and commitment to MENTOR and our State and Local Mentoring Partnership colleagues, who are dedicated to making quality mentoring available to children throughout the country."
The inspiring and energizing skill-building workshops included topics ranging from federal advocacy and working effectively with volunteer leaders to strategic decision-making and social networking.
During a lively event to celebrate partnership achievements throughout the year, participants heard keynote speaker Elliot Perry movingly reflect upon his mentoring experience as a young man and how he champions mentoring today in Memphis. Perry is a former NBA player and current owner and Foundation board member of the Memphis Grizzlies. In addition, Tami Nealy, director of Public Affairs for LifeLock spoke about identity theft protection and how protecting our children's information is vital, especially in this age of Internet technology. LifeLock is a generous sponsor of MENTOR's SafetyNET program.
For more information about the States Caucus meeting, contact Linda Stewart or Cathy Jenkins at lstewart@mentoring.org or cjenkins@mentoring.org .
Child Protection Bill Introduced in U.S. Senate
June 26, 2009: Senators Charles Schumer (D-NY) and John Ensign (R-NV) hammered out a consensus in order to introduce their version of the Child Protection Improvements Act in the U.S. Senate June 25.
This legislation (S.1365) would create a streamlined system to allow youth-serving organizations access to nationwide FBI fingerprint searches that are timely and affordable. It is based on the PROTECT Act pilot, known to mentoring organizations as SafetyNET, which has been managed by MENTOR and tested for nearly five years by mentoring organizations and others.
MENTOR has spearheaded a coalition of leading youth service and policy organizations advocating for the Child Protection Improvements Act, including dedicated activists from The National Human Service Assembly's Collaboration for Youth, the YMCA, First Focus, Big Brothers and Big Sisters of America, the Boys and Girls Clubs of America, Volunteers of America and the Afterschool Alliance.
The House version of the bill (HR 1469) was introduced earlier this year by Representatives Adam Schiff (D-CA), Mike Rogers (R-MI) and John Conyers (D-MI). The Senate language is slightly different from that of the House, so some adjustments may need to be made in one body of Congress before the legislation can be passed and eventually signed into law.
"We salute Senators Schumer and Ensign (and Congressmen Schiff, Rogers and Conyers) for leading the way on the work of ensuring that proper protections are in place for children involved in mentoring and other youth service programs," said MENTOR's Chief Administrative Officer Tonya Wiley. "As President Obama works to expand service, passage of the Child Protection Improvements Act takes on even more urgency."
For more information about SafetyNET and the Child Protection Improvements Act, visit www.mentoring.org . To become active in helping make nationwide criminal background checks a permanent resource for volunteers working with children, join the advocacy network at http://www.mentoring.org/advocate/ .
MENTOR Annual Report Wins Washington, D.C., Award
June 16, 2009: The Art Directors Club of Metropolitan Washington recently awarded MENTOR's 2007 annual report a silver place in its 60th Annual Show and Gala held at the National Press Club.
The report, titled Mentor Youth, was designed by Washington, D.C.'s, Design Army and was one of hundreds of local entries in the competition.
"We are delighted to have received this award," said MENTOR's Chief Administrative Officer Tonya Wiley. "We hope that more people read our annual report as a result of this honor and that it will inspire them to learn more about mentoring and become involved in this rapidly growing national movement."
Mentor Youth features MENTOR's signature red and contains sections on strategy development, State and Local Mentoring Partnership accomplishments, public policy initiatives, National Mentoring Institute activities, communications and fund raising. Additional highlights include Q&A interviews with partnership directors Joellen Gonder-Spacek (MN), Colleen Fedor (Pittsburgh), Marilyn Pritchett (OH), Selwyn Ray (MD) and Larry Wright (WA).
The Art Directors Club of Metropolitan Washington is a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to advocating professionalism in the field of visual communications. Formed in 1953, the club keeps the creative community informed about design and the professional aspects of design, and helps the business community understand the power and value of good design.
To see this publication, visit www.mentoring.org/about_mentor/ .
First Focus Joins Push to Make SafetyNET Permanent
June 10, 2009: First Focus has joined MENTOR and other leading youth service organizations in the effort to reintroduce the Child Protection Improvements Act and seek its passage this year.
The legislation would create a permanent, streamlined system to allow youth-serving organizations access to nationwide FBI fingerprint searches that are timely and affordable. It is based on the PROTECT Act pilot (SafetyNET), which mentoring organizations and others have been testing for nearly five years.
First Focus is a bi-partisan advocacy organization that is committed to making children a priority in federal policy and budget decisions and, in this instance, to making children's safety a congressional priority.
"We're pleased to lend our voice and our resources to the vital effort to ensure that potential mentors are carefully screened through the pioneering criminal background check system known as SafetyNET," said First Focus Vice President for Education, Housing and Youth Policy Phillip Lovell. "Clearly, this system is of great value to mentoring organizations, but it will be equally valuable to all youth-serving organizations that engage volunteers in their work."
MENTOR's Chief Administrative Officer Tonya Wiley said, "We are delighted that First Focus is part of the effort to advocate for this legislation. We also are grateful to have LifeLock as a SafetyNET sponsor for this critical step in the mentor screening process."
MENTOR and other leaders of the coalition actively supporting the Child Protection Improvements Act — including Big Brothers and Big Sisters of America, the YMCA, the Boys and Girls Clubs of America, Volunteers of America, the Afterschool Alliance and National Human Service Assembly's Collaboration for Youth — welcome First Focus' involvement and leadership. National Assembly President Irv Katz noted, "First Focus brings bi-partisan leadership support to this crucially important legislation, which is very encouraging and much appreciated."
For more information about SafetyNET and the Child Protection Improvements Act, visit www.mentoring.org . To become active in helping make nationwide criminal background checks a permanent resource for volunteers working with children, join the advocacy network at http://www.mentoring.org/advocate/ .
Mentoring Reaches Native Americans Through Caregiver's Choice
June 2, 2009: MENTOR is working with Native American populations to make mentoring more accessible to young people in those communities.
One of the first steps is reaching out to Native American populations so they can feel empowered to use the Mentoring Children of Prisoners: Caregiver's Choice program, which grants $1,000 stipends to qualified mentoring programs serving children with a parent in jail. Mentoring Children of Prisoners: Caregiver's Choice is a three year demonstration project funded by the the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
According to the Bureau of Justice Statistics report American Indians and Crime (1999), on a per capita basis, American Indians had a rate of prison incarceration about 38 percent higher than the national rate. In 1997, about 16,000 American Indians were held in local jails — a rate of 1,083 per 100,000 adults, the highest of any racial group.
"We know that the need for mentoring is great across the board and is especially critical in minority populations," said Harry Wilson, a senior advisor to MENTOR. "As much as we want to help, we must understand and honor cultural differences. In Native American communities, for example, there are natural mentors present in daily life — traditions that are passed from the elders to the younger generations. We must be sensitive to cultural mores so that adults and children can begin to feel comfortable with mentoring and its positive effects."
As part of its outreach efforts, MENTOR is consulting with Native American representatives from the National Indian Child Welfare Association, Big Brothers Big Sisters of America and the federal Department of Health and Human Services. Their input will help guide MENTOR in promoting Caregiver's Choice and in bringing more mentoring opportunities to Native American communities in general. MENTOR also will have a presence at the United Native Indian Tribal Youth annual conference this summer.
Special focus is being given to states with large Native American communities, including Arizona, California, Oklahoma, Oregon and Washington.
For more information, visit www.mentoring.org and http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/bjs/pub... .
*This is a "Mentoring Children of Prisoners Voucher Demonstration, funded by the Family Youth Services Bureau under grant #90CV0457."
E-Mentoring
ONCE or twice a week last spring, Chris Dailey, a sales manager at a Web development firm in New York, exchange e-mail notes with an 11th-grade student at a Queens high school. The two had been matched up by iMentor, an online mentoring organization in New York City, based on the student's interest in the Web and graphic design.
read more...
http://www.nytimes.com/2000/10/1...