Good Morning! Here’s the Monday Morning Blog?
Have you had a chance to touch base with that teen in your life yet? Could they be inspired by the story of Clint Reff? The Duluth Fire Fighter I featured in last week’s blog? Sometimes all we need is to be inspired by “If they can do it, I can do it.”
January’s Theme – National Mentoring Month
According to Mentoring.org, National Mentoring Month is based on a movement to raise awareness about the power of relationships and how they can help young people succeed.
Like I talked about in my November post about Making Choices, Teen Resource – Other people teens can talk to about tough choices, mentors are people who have real world experience in something your teen may have an interest in pursuing. A mentor may be able to give your teen some advice or help them get there.
In November also I launched a Mentor page on my website dedicated to this topic. On this page, I include some mentoring information related to my chosen monthly blog theme. Here is a link to that page. Selma P. Verde – Mentor Page.
MENTOR
Throughout this month, I have been referencing this organization, so now I will talk a little bit more about them. This month’s Teen Resource is an organization called MENTOR.
The mission of MENTOR is to
Close the Mentoring Gap
Drive equity through quality mentoring relationships with young people
As I mentioned earlier in the month, teens and young adults with a mentor are 52% less likely to skip school and 78% more likely to volunteer in their communities. So, having a mentor for your teen or young adult can have positive impacts on the choices your teen makes.
MENTOR provides many opportunities to help people get involved in mentoring. Either as one who mentors or as one being mentored. Here are a couple of the resources and tools found on their website.
Becoming a Mentor
On the Become a Mentor page of their website, Mentoring.org, we see this quote.
“When you were young, did you know how to study for a test or make plans for college? Do you remember wanting your first car or part-time job?”
Some teens and young adults are lucky to have parents who are engaged in what they are doing or a neighbor who sees something in them and wants to help. Others have to figure out these life choices on their own. As adults, we have probably made those choices and have a story to share about how we did it. These stories could be helpful for teens navigating these same choices. Why not share them?
Current Mentoring Campaigns
Two campaigns MENTOR is currently involved in to get the mentoring message out there are
National Mentoring Month
January is National Mentoring Month, which has also been my theme for this month. Through their website, MENTOR is highlighting the importance of relationships and how mentoring can benefit not only the one being mentored, but also the one doing the mentoring.
Mentoring Amplifies
This quote is found on the campaigns page of the MENTOR website,
“Mentoring amplifies change, one relationship at a time. So let’s raise our voices and make the world a place of opportunity for all.”
By having a relationship with a mentor, a teen or young adult may find a different way of approaching their life choices. It is an important step to helping teens and young adults overcome the challenges they face growing up. Having those one-on-one conversations and sharing knowledge can make a difference, one person and one situation at a time.
Mentoring Connector
Are you looking for a mentor? Do think that having a mentor may help you to achieve a goal? Or just provide some support to get through challenges you are facing? MENOTR offers a tool called Mentoring Connector. It is a searchable database that can help you find some possible mentors in your area. Here is a link Find a Mentor
Remember there are people who are out there willing to help you to succeed. They do not replace parents, guardians or teachers who are there to help out too. Mentors become part of a team to help you become the person you want to be. Here is a link to their website MENTOR This link will also be appearing on my resources page soon. If you are looking for a mentor or want to become one, MENTOR is a great resource to check out.
Have you heard of The Way Series?
The Way Series is my coming of age series for teens and young adults focused on the challenges teens may face. The first book, The Hard Way has a theme of peer pressure and its consequences when choices are made. And the second book, Shawn’s Way, is the story about a high school freshman navigating his school experience as the target of a bully.
Interested in learning more? Follow the link to the books tab for or information and a way for you to get your own copies. Selma P. Verde – Books
Have a great week!
