National Mentoring Partnership Incorporated

TO FUEL THE QUALITY AND QUANTITY OF MENTORING RELATIONSHIPS FOR AMERICA'S YOUNG PEOPLE AND TO CLOSE THE MENTORING GAP.

AFFILIATE NETWORK SUPPORT & DEVELOPMENTIN 2023, MENTOR ADVANCED LOCAL FIELD LEADERSHIP BY SUPPORTING AND EXPANDING 25 MENTOR AFFILIATES. IN THIS WORK, MENTOR PARTNERED WITH, SUPPORTED, AND PROVIDED PASS-THROUGH FUNDING TO ITS NETWORK OF 25 AFFILIATES. MENTOR ALSO LAUNCHED A NEW AFFILIATE IN TEXAS AND PROGRESSED TOWARD LAUNCHING OR RELAUNCHING NEW AFFILIATES IN ILLINOIS AND FLORIDA. MENTOR SUPPORTED 100% OF AFFILIATES IN DEVELOPING AN ORGANIZATIONAL OPERATING AND EVALUATION PLAN. MENTOR HOSTED ITS ANNUAL GATHERING OF AFFILIATES AND WELCOMED ATTENDEES FROM ACROSS THE AFFILIATE NETWORK FOR TRAINING, PEER LEARNING, AND COMMUNITY BUILDING.

NATIONAL MENTORING SUMMITMENTOR ANNUALLY HOSTS THE NATIONAL MENTORING SUMMIT IN WASHINGTON DC, THE ONLY NATIONAL CONVENING OF YOUTH MENTORING PROFESSIONALS, RESEARCHERS, CORPORATE PARTNERS, AND GOVERNMENT AND CIVIC LEADERS FOCUSED ON STRENGTHENING AND EXPANDING QUALITY MENTORING RELATIONSHIPS FOR YOUNG PEOPLE NATIONWIDE. IN JANUARY 2023, MENTOR HOSTED THE NATIONAL MENTORING SUMMIT, WHICH WELCOMED 1,990 PEOPLE BOTH VIRTUALLY AND IN-PERSON FROM 56 STATES AND TERRITORIES AND 12 COUNTRIES.

PRODUCT AND PROGRAM DEVELOPMENTONE OF MENTOR'S CORE OBJECTIVES IS TO IDENTIFY, PROMOTE, AND DRIVE THE IMPLEMENTATION OF EVIDENCE-BASED PRACTICES COMBINED WITH COMMUNITY WISDOM TO INCREASE THE QUALITY OF MENTORING RELATIONSHIPS FOR YOUNG PEOPLE. MENTOR PURSUES THIS WORK BY ENSURING THAT LEADING-EDGE RESEARCH, EVIDENCE FROM THE FIELD, COMMUNITY INSIGHTS, AND EFFECTIVE TRAINING CONVERGE TO INCREASE, SUSTAIN, AND EVALUATE THE QUALITY OF MENTORING RELATIONSHIPS FOR YOUNG PEOPLE. THROUGH THIS WORK, MENTOR ALSO PARTNERS WITH KEY THOUGHT LEADERS IN THE YOUTH-SERVICES FIELD TO BUILD THE EVIDENCE BASE AND SUPPORT FOR MENTORING AS A SYSTEMIC SOLUTION FOR IMPROVED YOUTH OUTCOMES IN AMERICA. A FEW EXAMPLES OF 2023 ACCOMPLISHMENTS IN THIS WORK INCLUDE: 1) LED THE NATIONAL MENTORING RESOURCE CENTER TO PROVIDE A RECORD-BREAKING 14,282 HOURS OF TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE TO MENTORING PROGRAMS ACROSS THE COUNTRY; 2) LAUNCHED THE ENHANCED NATIONAL QUALITY MENTORING SYSTEM THAT IS LINKED TO OUR MENTORING CONNECTOR DATABASE AND OFFERS INCREASED FUNCTIONALITY AND ACCESSIBILITY FOR MENTORING AND OTHER YOUTH-SERVING ORGANIZATIONS; 3) RELEASED THE WHO MENTORED YOU? STUDY, AN EXPANSIVE, MULTI-GENERATIONAL RESEARCH REPORT EXAMINING THE ROLE OF MENTORS IN THE LIVES OF AMERICANS OVER THE LAST HALF-CENTURY; 4) OFFERED MONTHLY COLLABORATIVE MENTORING MONTHLY WEBINAR SERIES WHICH AVERAGED 213 ATTENDEES WITH 95% OF ATTENDEES REPORTING THAT THEY GAINED BENEFICIAL KNOWLEDGE; AND 5) BEGAN THE CRITICAL PROJECT OF UPDATING OUR CORNERSTONE PUBLICATION, THE ELEMENTS OF EFFECTIVE PRACTICE FOR MENTORING (EEPM) WHICH DETAILS RESEARCH-INFORMED AND PRACTITIONER-APPROVED STANDARDS FOR CREATING AND SUSTAINING QUALITY YOUTH MENTORING PROGRAMS AND CONSEQUENTLY, IMPACTFUL MENTORING RELATIONSHIPS. THE EEPM 5TH EDITION WILL BE LAUNCHED IN JANUARY 2025.

PROMOTION, PUBLIC EDUCATION & POLICY MENTOR PROMOTES THE YOUTH MENTORING FIELD BY MOTIVATING CIVIC LEADERS, EMPLOYEES, AND INDIVIDUALS TO PRIORITIZE AND INVEST IN ENSURING ALL YOUNG PEOPLE HAVE ACCESS TO MENTORING RELATIONSHIPS. IN 2023, MENTOR PROMOTED THE USE OF THE MENTORING CONNECTOR, THE SINGLE NATIONAL DATABASE OF QUALITY MENTORING VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES. IN 2023, THERE WERE 27,189 SEARCHES FOR LOCAL MENTORING OPPORTUNITIES THROUGH THE MENTORING CONNECTOR. WE HOSTED TWO CONGRESSIONAL BRIEFINGS WITH THE SUPPORT OF THE CONGRESSIONAL YOUTH MENTORING CAUCUS, ONE WITH A FOCUS ON FOSTER YOUTH AND THE OTHER ON FEDERAL INVESTMENT IN QUALITY YOUTH MENTORING ACTIVITIES. MENTOR ALSO HOSTED THE ANNUAL CAPITOL HILL DAY DURING NATIONAL MENTORING MONTH IN JANUARY, BRINGING TOGETHER OVER 550 YOUTH DEVELOPMENT AND MENTORING PROGRAM STAFF, ADVOCATES, RESEARCHERS, YOUTH, AND OTHERS TO SHARE WITH CONGRESS THE VALUE AND POSITIVE IMPACT MENTORING HAS ON YOUNG PEOPLE AND THEIR RESPECTIVE COMMUNITIES.IN 2023, MENTOR WAS AWARDED $2,650,000 IN FUNDING BY THE OFFICE OF JUVENILE JUSTICE AND DELINQUENCY PREVENTION TO CONTINUE OPERATING ITS NATIONAL MENTORING RESOURCE CENTER, OFFERING TRAINING AND TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE FROM THE MENTORING FIELD. MENTOR ALSO CONTINUED TO CO-LEAD ADVOCACY EFFORTS TO SUCCESSFULLY INCREASE KEY FEDERAL INVESTMENTS IN MENTORING TO $107 MILLION IN FY23, A $5M INCREASE IN FUNDING.