By: Madeline Dunham
Today is International Mentoring Day. I think it is awesome that we dedicate a day to celebrating mentorship and the impact it has on students. I have been mentored by several individuals in my lifetime. I believe truly that my mentors have shaped who I am today. My mentors made me feel known, valued and loved throughout many different seasons of life.
You might be wondering, how can mentorship positively affect my student or child? Well, there are a number of ways.
“Mentoring, at its core, guarantees young people that there is someone who cares about them, assures them they are not alone in dealing with day-to-day challenges, and makes them feel like they matter. Research confirms that quality mentoring relationships have powerful positive effects on young people in a variety of personal, academic, and professional situations. Ultimately, mentoring connects a young person to personal growth and development, and social and economic opportunity. Yet one in three young people will grow up without this critical asset.”
-Mentor: The National Mentoring Partnership
- Students who meet regularly with their mentors are 52% less likely than their peers to skip a day of school and 37% less likely to skip a class.
- Young adults who face an opportunity gap but have a mentor are 55% more likely to be enrolled in college than those who did not have a mentor.
- In addition to better school attendance and a better chance of going on to higher education, mentored youth maintain better attitudes toward school.
From a Daily Life Standpoint
- Students with mentors are 46% less likely than their peers to start using illegal drugs and 27% less likely to start drinking.
- Students with mentors are 81% more likely to participate regularly in sports or extracurricular activities than those who do not.
- Mentoring promotes positive social attitudes and relationships. Mentored youth tend to trust their parents more and communicate better with them.
The statistics are overwhelming. Mentorship positively impacts students. Being an organization that exists to keep students engaged in the classroom, we hope parents and teachers will consider utilizing existing mentorship programs or finding ways to develop mentorship programs!
Statistics retrieved from: https://www.mentoring.org/why-mentoring/mentoring-impact/?utm_source=SumoMe&utm_medium=SmartBar#1442856309069-add22431-aa80