National Mentoring Month
by Niomi Plotkin
National Mentoring Month, observed each January, recognizes the positive impact of mentoring and the power of relationships on the lives of young people. Recently, President Biden raised awareness about the importance of mentors in communities across the country.
We all can look back on earlier years and remember a family member, teacher, friend, or community member who helped guide us. Research shows that continuity and consistency in relationships with caring and compassionate adults are vital to a young person’s development. Mentoring entails providing support for others as they navigate life’s challenges and work toward meeting their personal, educational, or professional goals.
At WJCS, we are so proud to have launched a Virtual Mentoring Program two years ago, in partnership with the STEM Alliance and the Mary J. Blige Center. WJCS is committed to closing the achievement gap and support social emotional learning
As reported by MENTOR: The National Mentoring Partnership, “One in three young people living in the United States does not have access to an adult mentor of any kind. More than half of those fall into an at-risk category, making them less likely to graduate high school, go on to college, and lead healthy and productive lives.”
Mentoring has demonstrated a long list of benefits for youth: improved academic performance, increased high school graduation rates, lower dropout rates, as well as other behavioral and emotional improvements.
According to mentoring.org, young adults with mentors are “52% more likely to attend school regularly and 55% more likely to attend college.” They are also “81% more likely to participate regularly in sports or extracurricular activities” and less likely to engage in high-risk behaviors such as drug or alcohol use.
A Window into Our Mentors
Chuck, a mentor at WJCS, began volunteering several years ago as a math tutor for adults seeking a high school equivalency certificate at the
WJCS Mary J. Blige Center in Yonkers. As an MBA graduate from Harvard who worked in the world of finance in larger companies, he enjoys helping others come up the ladder and learn. This is what spurred him into mentoring. He is currently working with two students once a week focusing on literacy growth and overall wellness. He starts each mentoring session with a mindfulness exercise called Square Breathing. This deep breathing technique helps calm the mentee and become focused for their work together.
Dalila, the youngest mentor in our program, will be a first year college student in the fall of 2022. She has expressed wanting to support kids by giving them a safe place and feel seen and heard. She is planning to go to college for film production and her use the degree to make others aware of what some people struggle with in silence. Dalila works with four mentees and is making a great impact. She is a wonderful role model and has a positive spirit which the mentees immediately sense.
Caitlin Leon leads the Virtual Mentoring Program this year and is a 9-year veteran of WJCS. Caitlin has worked in various WJCS programs serving young people throughout Westchester County, including Young People Achieve and Peer Impact. The program currently serves 32 mentees and has 12 mentors carefully matched for effective, meaningful relationships.
The program’s team also includes two Education Coaches, Lynise Blake and Niomi Plotkin, who work supporting and training the mentors throughout the academic school year.
To learn more about the WJCS Virtual Mentoring Program, please contact Caitliin Leon at [email protected].
