January is National Mentoring Month. It is the time each year to remember the importance of mentors, and the need for every child to have a caring adult in his or her life. To be a mentor, you don't need special skills. You just need the ability to listen and offer friendship, guidance, and encouragement to a young person.
If you have what it takes to help young people navigate life's tough choices, please consider serving as a mentor. The Sacramento County Office of Education (SCOE) is seeking adult mentors to serve as positive role models as part of the LINKS Mentoring Program for high school students at four schools in the county.
This program is unique because it offers ongoing support to mentor/protégé matches by providing staff-facilitated, structured mentoring sessions each week. SCOE staff members attend group mentor sessions to organize activities and provide materials and support.
Mentors meet with their protégés for one hour each week. The group mentoring sessions consist of group activities, combined with one-to-one time for mentors and protégés. Qualifying mentors may commit to a semester or an entire school year. Meetings and activities center on specific themes:
- Community Service/Service Learning Projects
- Interpersonal/Life Skills
- Planning for the Future
- Career Exploration/Job Seeking Skills
- Financial Savvy and Money Management
- Health and Wellness
The LINKS Mentoring Program is operated by the SCOE Prevention and Student Services (PASS) Department. The program is made possible through a grant from the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention.
To learn more about the LINKS Mentoring Program, call (916) 228-2201.
National Mentoring Month is a campaign held each January to promote youth mentoring in the United States. It began in 2002 and is spearheaded by the Harvard School of Public Health, MENTOR, and the Corporation for National and Community Service.