2011 National Mentoring Summit

On January 25, 2011 the inaugural National Mentoring Summit, "Achieving Academic and Social Success: Supporting Youth through Mentoring," brought together leading mentoring organizations, as well as federal and state government and civic leaders, to develop strategies that leverage mentoring to increase graduation rates among America’s youth and position them for success.  

First Lady of the United States Michelle Obama delivered the keynote address and announced The Corporate Mentoring Challenge, an initiative led by the Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS) to encourage U.S. companies to launch a mentoring program, expand existing employee mentoring programs or provide resources to support local mentoring programs that help youth gain leadership skills, achieve their educational goals and increase their confidence.

Corporations have the ability to do tremendous good, strengthening the social fabric of the communities in which they operate. Allowing employees to participate in a mentoring program is an excellent way to leverage resources. Employees mentoring youth in their community offers reciprocal benefits: youth increase their confidence and academic skills while employees and employers alike enjoy unexpected rewards. Employees engaged in mentoring feel more committed to their workplace, reducing turnover and increasing productivity. Mentors model precisely the attitudes and aptitudes youth need: intellectual curiosity, compassion for others and determination to succeed.

Companies already stepping up to The Corporate Mentoring Challenge include Bank of America, Deloitte, Viacom, Comcast, Bloomingdale’s, Macy’s and AT&T. They are committing within the next year to one or all of the following: to continue building on existing mentoring programs through expansion, launching new programs or developing new mentor tools and resources.

Learn more about of The Corporate Mentoring Challenge and take the Pledge to Support Mentoring.

View the Summary At a Glance and the Session Descriptions. For more information, please send an e-mail to summit@mentoring.org.
 

Summit Announcements

• First lady urges more people in US to mentor youth
• UMass Boston and MENTOR Form Alliance Supporting Youth Mentoring Research
• Mentor of the Year Award
• High school senior meets Michelle Obama at mentoring summit in Washington, D.C.

  

Host Committee

Founding Partners

America’s Promise Alliance Big Brothers Big Sisters of America Boys and Girls Clubs of America  City Year College Success Foundation Communities In Schools  Dare Mighty Things, Inc.

Mentoring USA National Alliance of Faith and Justice National CARES Mentoring Movement National Collaboration for Youth National Dropout Prevention Center Points of Light Institute/HandsOn Network United Way Worldwide

Honorary Host Committee

The Honorable Dan Akaka (D-HI) The Honorable Tom Carper (D-DE) The Honorable John Conyers (D-MI) The Honorable Susan Davis (D-CA) The Honorable Chuck Grassley (R-IA) The Honorable John Kerry (D-MA)

The Honorable Mary Landrieu (D-LA) The Honorable Betty McCollum (D-MN) The Honorable Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) The Honorable Mike Rogers (R-MI) The Honorable Adam Schiff (D-CA) The Honorable Charles Schumer (D-NY)