President Barack Obama Proclaims that January is National Mentoring Month

1/11/2010 4:14:00 PM

MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. (Jan. 11, 2010) – On Jan. 4, President Barack Obama signed a Presidential Proclamation declaring January as National Mentoring Month (NMM).  “I call upon public officials, business and community leaders, educators, and Americans across the country to observe this month with appropriate ceremonies, activities, and programs,” the proclamation stated.

In the proclamation, President Obama called for the recognition of people who serve their country as mentors.  “Mentors are building a brighter future for our Nation by helping our children grow into productive, engaged, and responsible adults.”  He also encouraged more Americans to step up and become mentors, saying, “We carry [our own mentors’] wisdom with us throughout our lives, knowing the unique and timeless gift of mentorship. During this month, I encourage Americans to give back by mentoring young people in their communities who may lack role models, and pass that precious gift on to the next generation.”

Similarly, Gov. Tim Pawlenty signed a State Proclamation for NMM, stating, “The future of the State of Minnesota rests on the hopes and dreams of its children and youth.”  Pawlenty’s proclamation also encouraged Minn. communities to take part in Thank Your Mentor Day on Thu, Jan. 21.

The Mentoring Partnership of Minnesota (MPM) is leading NMM at the state level, assisting 500 mentoring programs across Minn. with their NMM efforts.  MPM is also gearing up to introduce the Quality Mentoring Assessment Path (QMAP), the nation’s first interactive quality assessment tool for the field of mentoring.  Through this tool, MPM will be able to support mentoring programs as they work toward achieving quality standards through best practices, ensuring that their efforts leave the greatest impact on Minnesota youth.

MPM was formed in 1994 as a community initiative to promote mentoring for Minnesota youth.  Its mission is to drive the mentoring movement and lead the state in building and sustaining quality mentoring for every child.  Adults looking for mentoring opportunities in their communities should visit MPM’s website at www.mpmn.org.

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For more information on National Mentoring Month, please contact:
Mindy Twetten
Mentoring Partnership of Minnesota
612-370-9158
mindy@mpmn.org