City of Boulder Mayor Susan Osborne and the Boulder County commissioners have declared January 2010 as “MentorsMatter” Month.
They are calling on citizens to become involved in mentoring and express their appreciation for mentors. The designation is intended to help call attention to the critical role mentors and mentoring programs play in Boulder in helping young people realize their potential.
MentorsMatter is a collaboration among the Volunteer Connection, Partners Mentoring Program, “I Have a Dream” Foundation, Boulder County Department of Housing and Human Services, YWCA, Boulder Enhanced Supervision Team, The Mental Health Center of Boulder & Broomfield Counties, Boulder Valley School District, Big Brothers Big Sisters of Colorado and the Retired Senior Volunteer Program are working together to promote the benefits of mentoring, educate the community about the needs of at-risk youth and recruit adult mentors to serve as positive role models for the many youth in Boulder County who are currently waiting to be matched with a caring adult.
Research shows that formal, high-quality mentoring focused on developing competence and character promotes positive outcomes such as improved academic achievement, self-esteem, social skills and career development.
Mentoring successfully reduces substance use and abuse, academic failure, and delinquency. Research also shows that the nation has a serious “mentoring gap,” with nearly 15 million young people in need of mentors — and at least 200 young people in Boulder County that would benefit from a mentoring relationship.
