Since 2002, National Mentoring Month has been observed annually to recognize the need for mentors in our communities and acknowledge the importance of promoting safe, inclusive and effective youth mentoring practices. To align with the national campaign, Mentor Kansas called upon the Kansas governor and lieutenant governor to declare January as Kansas Mentoring Month with an annual ceremonial proclamation signing.

Celebrating Kansas Mentoring Month aims to expand quality mentoring opportunities to connect more of our community’s young people with safe, supportive and caring adult role models. Kansas recognizes that the future’s success depends on helping every child thrive in school and reach his or her full potential in life. To accomplish this, young Kansans need a solid foundation of positive support to empower them to become well-educated, confident, productive and engaged citizens of their communities.

Mentoring is a proven, effective strategy that helps children and young adults by matching them with a safe, caring and responsible adult role model who can provide vital support, guidance and direction. Mentors build healthy character, encourage and inspire success, boost confidence, elevate expectations and expand the universe of a child, serving as friends, role models, teachers and sources of stability and support during a critical time in a child’s life.

Research shows that mentors play a powerful and beneficial long-term role in providing young people with the tools to strive and thrive by improving overall physical, economical, educational and social well-being. Young people with a mentor are:

• 52 percent less likely to skip a day of school.
• 55 percent more likely to be enrolled in postsecondary academics.
• 78 percent more likely to volunteer regularly in their communities.
• 81 percent more likely to participate regularly in sports or extracurricular activities.
• More than twice as likely to hold a leadership position in a club or sports team.

Mentoring strengthens Kansas’ economic and social well-being by helping young people fulfill their potential while helping maintain healthy families and promoting vibrant communities. Yet, research shows that one in three young people in our country will grow up without the critical support of a mentor. Today, thousands of Kansas children are in need of a positive and caring adult mentor in their lives. Closing this mentoring gap will take more investment, partnerships and volunteers who are ready to make a difference in a child’s life.

Kansas Mentoring Month is an opportunity to raise awareness of the critical importance of youth mentoring, celebrate the dedicated individuals who serve as mentors, and inspire and encourage more citizens to help build a brighter future for Kansas youth through mentoring. To learn more about the role mentoring plays or find an opportunity to serve as a mentor in your community, visit mentorkansas.org.

Mentor Kansas, previously known as Kansas Mentors, is a statewide mentoring partnership that connects existing mentoring programs with one another and serves as a resource for communities wishing to start a program. Mentor Kansas believes that every young person deserves caring and supportive relationships in life to help him or her grow and develop into a thriving, productive and engaged adult. Thereby, Mentor Kansas works to promote the great mentoring opportunities found throughout the state and fuel the quality and quantity of positive mentoring relationships available to young Kansans.

Mentor Kansas serves as the ambassador or key point of contact for National Mentoring Month in the state of Kansas as an affiliate of MENTOR: The National Mentoring Partnership.