Mentor Youth
Why mentor?
Every young person — from a first-grade student to a graduating high-school senior — wants to know they’re seen and known. And the power of a caring adult’s investment can do just that: remind them they’re important.
But one in three young people grow up without a mentor. One in three young people navigate the rigors of school, friend groups, social pressures, and life’s anxieties struggling to know whether they’re important or valued.
And they are valued. Every single one of them.
That’s why we mentor. Mentors close the gap between the next generation believing they’re not important and knowing they are important. Mentors help youth cross the chasm from isolation to belonging.
One caring mentor can change everything in a young person’s life.
Who’s a mentor?
A mentor is a caring adult who invests in the life of a young person. That means anyone can be a mentor: a business professional, a retiree, a plumber, a college student, a nurse. No matter whom you are, if you have a heart to see today’s youth succeed, you’re one step closer to being a mentor.
Where and how do we mentor?
We go to where the youth are: at their schools, in their communities, and online. We come alongside area schools to match mentors with mentees, taking the pressure off of teachers’ shoulders to care for some of the emotional and relational needs youth have through weekly one-hour get togethers.
And we meet with students online. Through safe online programming, we match mentors with mentees to grow their social networks, discuss and plan life goals, and to improve their self-esteem.
You can transform the life and trajectory of a young person in your community. How? Become a mentor with MVLF.
Testimonials
"I love walking by the mentors and hearing the conversations taking place. The smile that I see on the students’ faces when they meet with their mentors brings me great joy."
Principal Kevin Grone, Union Elementary School