Welcome to Bay Area Mentoring! Bay Area Mentoring promotes youth mentoring by connecting programs and community members throughout Northern California.   Pass It On... Become a Mentor!   What is a mentor? A mentor literally means "a wise and trusted friend." But to a youth, it can mean much, much more. Mentoring is about people of different ages and backgrounds sharing their life experiences and learning from each other. If you think about it, most of us have had a mentor: someone who took the time to explain how things worked, showed us the ropes, or gave us the confidence we needed.   If you've benefited from the attention of a mentor in your life, now is the time to pass it on and become a mentor to a young person!
National Mentoring Month 2010 President Barack Obama declares January 2010 as National Mentoring Month and promotes youth mentoring in a press conference, January 20, 2010. See the press conference and download the transcript on the White House web site . On January 6, 2010, the White House released President Obama's proclamation stating that January is officially National Mentoring Month in America. The proclamation, in part, reads: "Every day, mentors in communities across our Nation provide crucial support and guidance to young people. Whether a day is spent helping with homework, playing catch, or just listening, these moments can have an enormous, lasting effect on a child's life. During National Mentoring Month, we recognize those who give generously of themselves by mentoring young Americans. "NOW, THEREFORE, I, BARACK OBAMA, President of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim January 2010 as National Mentoring Month. I call upon public officials, business and community leaders, educators, and Americans across the country to observe this month with appropriate ceremonies, activities, and programs." Click on the link to the right to download the proclamation or go to the White House web site. Plans are underway for National Mentoring Month 2010! Our goal is for Bay Area Mentoring publicity efforts and activities to raise awareness of the need for positive adult role models in the Bay Area. To read more about our efforts, visit the Events Page. Bay Area Mentoring Efforts In January 2010, Bay Area Mentoring’s 30 member programs will be reaching out to more teens and adults, urging them to serve as volunteer mentors to 2,000 children and youth waiting to be matched. The need for positive and caring role models to connect with children in their own communities is greater than ever. Sarah Kremer, Program Director of Friends for Youth’s Mentoring Institute and Bay Area Mentoring, says, “The benefits of giving a few hours a week to a young person in need of friendship, guidance, and support can seem greater for the mentor than the mentee. But for a child to know he or she is special and has something to contribute to the world because of a mentor’s support is immeasurable.” Research has shown that mentoring can have powerful effects on youth, including reductions in truancy, drug use/abuse, and violence (Positive Support: Mentoring and Depression Among High-Risk Youth, Public/Private Ventures, Philadelphia, 2006), while increasing interest in learning, new experiences, and hope for a better future. As one mentee says, “Since I've met my mentor, I am doing better in my schoolwork. My mom and my school counselor tell me I’m being more responsible." Last year, more than 500,000 individuals across the country responded to January’s National Mentoring Month campaign by seeking information through 45 Local Lead Partners about local mentoring programs in need of more volunteers. Bay Area Mentoring programs matched more than 3,000 children and youth last year, but need at least 2,000 more in 2010 for those waiting to be matched.	Download the White House Press Release here Download the Presidential Proclamation Download Coach Woodens Op-Ed piece here
	January is National Mentoring Month! January 2010 is the ninth annual National Mentoring Month, a concentrated burst of national and local media activity combined with White House and Congressional involvement and extensive community outreach to institutionalize the nation's commitment to long-term mentoring. National Mentoring Month is spearheaded by the Harvard Mentoring Project of the Harvard School of Public Health, MENTOR/National Mentoring Partnership, and the Corporation for National and Community Service. As the lead local partner for National Mentoring Month efforts, Bay Area Mentoring is the designated nonprofit in the San Francisco Bay Area responsible for coordinating local campaign activities, including media outreach and volunteer recruitment.   To learn more about National Mentoring Month, click here . You'll see information about the national push to promote mentoring, including the Who Mentored You? project. Did you have a mentor who was important in your life? Write a tribute to celebrate National Mentoring Month! Watch the 2010 National Mentoring Month PSAs featuring General Colin Powell and the ReelPeople Project here. Also check out the list of "10 Things to Do During January" for ideas on how to celebrate National Mentoring Month! Click here to watch the ReelPeople Project PSA featuring Jennifer and Iliana from Bay Area Mentoring member program Friends for Youth.
Bay Area Mentoring was created to help organizations reach potential mentors by partnering with other local programs. Through National Mentoring Month events, the annual Northern California mentoring conference, workshops, and networking opportunities, mentoring programs can leverage their voice to reach volunteers, donors, and the media. To become involved in this community of youth mentoring, be sure to register your program with Bay Area Mentoring so you can be updated on activities, conferences, and program opportunities. To learn more, contact us