MENTOR Joins Organizations Nationwide to Launch the National Partnership for Student Success
Public-Private Partnership Answers President Biden’s Call to Action to Help Students Recover and Thrive
July 11, 2022 – Doubling down on his call to action in the State of the Union, President Biden has called for a coordinated, research-based, locally-driven effort to prioritize the needs of our nation’s youth – a group deeply impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. As a result, the Biden-Harris administration launched the National Partnership for Student Success (NPSS), a public-private partnership led by AmeriCorps and the Department of Education and supported by non-profit organizations, corporations, philanthropy, state and local agencies, and state service commissions. Mentoring was a key component of Biden’s SOTU call to action and will be a core piece of the work of the NPSS.
MENTOR is proud to help develop the NPSS structure and ensure it aligns with evidence and best practices from the field. By serving as the expert in the field of youth development and a technical assistance provider, MENTOR will support the work of NPSS by serving as an “activator” for parties who want to participate in mentoring. Businesses, volunteers, school districts, and nonprofits are invited to reach out to MENTOR to learn more about how they can initiate or grow mentoring in their sector.
MENTOR CEO David Shapiro comments,
“Mentoring is proven, time-tested, and central in our efforts to meet the vast intersectional needs of our nation’s students that have been amplified by the pandemic — from identity development, to learning and relational loss, to trauma and uncertainty. This is our opportunity to reinvent people-powered personalized student supports so that our educators, school support staff, and community-based organizations have the resources and coordination necessary to help every student develop, thrive, and strive. By focusing on delivering on relationships for all students, we can meet this moment of reinvention in our schools — and most importantly, for and with all students.”
NPSS was officially launched on July 5 at an event at the White House attended by members of the Biden-Harris administration, representatives from NPSS “Supporting Champion” organizations, and more than 200 virtual attendees. MENTOR Maryland | DC’s Executive Director Sadiq Ali participated in a panel discussion led by AmeriCorps CEO Michael D. Smith with Dr. Robert Balfanz, professor at Johns Hopkins University School of Education and director of the university’s Everyone Graduates Center. Ali noted that creating intentional, thoughtful mentoring relationships and ensuring young people have a “village” to support them is essential. Balfanz agreed, noting that data and evidence reinforce the importance of supportive, caring relationships in improving young people’s mental health. Ali reminded attendees, “It’s dangerous for us to sit here and think things were well and good before the pandemic, but beautiful things can come out of ugly situations, and this beautiful partnership is one of them.”
At the launch event, Director of the White House Domestic Policy Council Susan Rice acknowledged the timing of the announcement and noted the need for partnership in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic, stating, “Yesterday we celebrated our independence, but moments like this demand that we also recognize our interdependence. All of us rise and fall together.”
Following Ambassador Rice’s remarks, Secretary of Education Dr. Miguel Cardona shared the administration’s ambitious goal to support the recruitment of 250,000 new mentors, tutors, and other support staff for students. Cardona said, “This is an opportunity for students to have a trusted adult in their corner,” and told those involved with NPSS and its supporting organizations, “Your commitment to our nation’s students is needed now more than ever.”
Secretary Cardona then introduced Dr. Sonja Brookins Santelises, CEO of Baltimore City Public Schools, who emphasized that the recovery plan for the city’s schools includes a heavy focus on mentoring, and White House advisor and American Rescue Plan Coordinator Gene Sperling, who spoke to the importance of using the funds for the vital programs for which they were intended.
The event concluded with an inspiring call to action from Secretary Cardona: “The funding is there, the urgency is there – now let’s get it done!”
NPSS seeks to support an increase in the quality and quantity of programs that connect young people with caring adults trained in how to provide meaningful care and support. The partnership will help guide and support schools, districts, and community-based organizations in making effective use of existing resources (such as funds from the American Rescue Plan), promoting learning recovery and closing opportunity gaps, and addressing the mental health crisis that young people are facing. To learn more: