New MENTOR Affiliate for Maryland to Launch: The Maryland Out of School Time Network Will Host and Operate

By: MENTOR

Press Release

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

July 11, 2017

MENTOR: The National Mentoring Partnership (MENTOR) will launch an Affiliate in Maryland with The Maryland Out of School Time Network (MOST) to increase the quality and quantity of mentoring relationships in Maryland, support programs to improve quality, effectiveness and scale, as well as coalesce stakeholders to expand engagement and investment locally.   

Leaders from Baltimore’s Promise, the philanthropic community and the City of Baltimore have led this recent drive to deliver on the promise and necessity to ensure all young people in Maryland have access to quality mentoring relationships.  A recent survey  of 76 Baltimore mentoring programs found that programs vary in funding levels, quality, and size. Given the varied landscape of organizations providing mentoring services, Baltimore’s Promise recommended a city-wide mentoring strategy to improve both the capacity and the quality of mentoring programs. This includes the core functions of a local MENTOR Affiliate including providing mentor trainings, sharing best practices, professional development for program leaders, data collection, and serving as a central hub for mentor recruitment and public awareness campaigns for mentoring. Mayor Pugh’s Transition Report included a similar recommendation. The Abell Foundation, the Annie E. Casey Foundation, and Patricia and Mark Joseph, The Shelter Foundation have made lead investments and fundraising is ongoing.

MENTOR, in partnership with a local steering committee and after a 9-month planning and vetting process, agreed that the The Maryland Out of School Time Network (MOST) will host and operate the local MENTOR Affiliate. MOST is the statewide youth development organization working to increase both the quantity and quality of afterschool and summer learning opportunities, including mentoring programs. MOST has experience in advancing the field of youth development and has advanced program quality improvement and built impactful relationships with partners, programs, and policy makers. MOST, in strategic partnership with Baltimore’s Promise, will provide the infrastructure, resources, and connections necessary to launch, support, and sustain the MENTOR Affiliate in Maryland.  According to Ellie Mitchell, Director of MOST, “Serving as the local MENTOR Affiliate for Maryland complements and expands on our mission to provide young people with the critical opportunities they need to thrive and succeed. MOST looks forward to leveraging the expertise and resources of the national network to support Mentors and Mentoring organization in Baltimore City and Statewide.”

MENTOR Maryland is working toward an official launch during National Mentoring Month in January at MOST’s 8th annual conference on January 9 & 10, 2018 at Stevenson University – Owings Mills Campus. 

David Shapiro, CEO of MENTOR: The National Mentoring Partnership commented, “We are so appreciative for the extraordinary local partnership from across sectors and organizations in Maryland to put relationships for young people first as we confront the many challenges they are facing. With MOST’s proven local leadership, MENTOR’s support, the expertise and experience of our existing network, and our growing national partnerships, we are committed to launching MENTOR Maryland with the foundation and momentum for sustainable impact for many years to come.”

For questions about MENTOR’s affiliate Network, contact Joellen Spacek at jspacek@mentoring.org or 617-303-4615. For media inquiries, contact Matt Meyersohn at mmeyersohn@mentoring.org or 617-303-4609. For questions about MOST, contact Ellie Mitchell at emitchell@mostnetwork.org or 410-374-7692.

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About MOST: The Maryland Out of School Time Network: www.mostnetwork.org

(MOST) is a statewide youth development organization, dedicated to more and better opportunities in the out of school hours for all of Maryland’s young people. MOST is one of 50 statewide afterschool networks made possible by the generous support of the Charles Stewart Mott Foundation and public and private matching funding.

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