January is National Mentoring Month, a national campaign that brings awareness to the positive impact of mentoring. During this campagin, stories of past and current mentor experiences are shared all over social media with hopes of expanding the mentoring sector and motivating people to get involved in mentoring.
This month, C4K has been participating in National Mentoring Month social media campaigns led by MENTOR National including I Am a Mentor Day, International Mentoring Day, Dr. Martin Luther King Service Day, and #ThankYourMentor Day. In addition, we decided to put a spin on things and do it the C4K way. We felt it a perfect time to highlight our mentors through mentor spotlights posts, sharing their stories as a mentor at C4K. You can check out our social media posts on Instagram, Facebook, Linkedin, and Twitter @c4kclubhouse.
According to MENTOR National, one in three young people grow up without a mentor. We believe that mentors have a positive impact on youth development. STEAM-based mentoring, both 1-to-1 and group, is one of the most valuable resources we offer at C4K. By providing access to STEAM mentorship and self-directed learning opportunities, our youth members develop lifelong skills.
The culmination of National Mentoring Month is the National Mentoring Summit, a three-day event that gives anyone in the mentoring sector a chance to connect and discuss the impacts of mentoring and how the mentoring movement can support young people. C4K’s Mentor Coordinator Tricia Howell, along with C4K youth members, Desi, and Asad, led the workshop “Mic Check: Setting the Stage for Youth Leaders” where they discussed ways to implement youth voice into everyday programming, develop Youth Leadership Councils, and support youth as they onboard and train mentors.
By participating in the National Mentoring Month campaigns, we hope to have inspired people to get involved in mentoring and make a change in youth’s lives.