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Since 1995, The Mentoring Partnership of Southwestern PA has been leading the local movement to connect young people with caring adults. We are unique in our inclusive approach that encourages all youth programs to mentor - whether formally or informally - to provide guidance and support that will enable young people achieve their potential. As a resource to local programs, we are well aware of what mentoring programs exist, the level to which those programs meet best practices (Elements of Effective Practice for Mentoring Programs) and the needs of said programs. Recruiting enough volunteer mentors to satisfy the demand is one of the biggest issues confronting us today. Through our work with program staff and volunteers, and increased efforts to raise awareness and recruit mentors, we have increased the number of youth being served by mentors by almost 10,000 in the last 5 years. There are now more than 27,000 youth being mentored in local programs. However, 1,762 local children remain on formal wait-lists, and many more could benefit from a mentor.
There are many organizations in our area that match and provide programs and activities to mentors and mentees; however, there are none that have the time or resources to consistently address the broader issues that affect the overall success of mentoring in our region. It is through our innovative approach to assessing and supporting programs as a servant-leader, that we are able to significantly impact the quality of mentoring in this region. Through individualized technical assistance, we are able to address both organizational and programmatic needs. Our work has a multiplier effect; enhancing not one agency, but hundreds; and affecting the lives of thousands of children each year.
Our Mission
The Mentoring Partnership of Southwestern Pennsylvania expands community capacity to support quality-mentoring relationships for youth.
It is our vision that no youth shall wait for a quality, appropriate mentor. We will accomplish this vision through objectives that are simple, yet critical: raise public awareness of the need and benefits of mentoring, recruit caring adults and efficiently connect them to mentoring programs, train and support these volunteers to be great mentors, and provide technical assistance to local mentoring programs.
We help start mentoring programs
Our unique position in the mentoring community enables us to discern and connect unmet needs with untapped resources. One example is the Career Connections Charter High School mentoring program that kicked-off for the 2005-2006 school year. The Mentoring Partnership provided technical assistance in all phases of the project - design, training, implementation and evaluation - and we are proud to report that the first year resulted in every 11th grader having a mentor and completing the commitment.
We provide technical assistance to existing mentoring programs
Since we offer expertise in both mentoring and capacity building, we help local organizations identify and address issues that will improve their programs' effectiveness and will develop the best possible mentoring relationships.
We recruit volunteers to be mentors
Through our marketing, communications and community outreach efforts, we strive to reach more potential mentors and connect them with youth at local programs. Each year we meet with hundreds of groups to raise awareness about the need for mentors and explain the many ways in which people can mentor. Our goal is to help caring adults see the need and provide an opportunity for them to sign on. We forward mentor applicants on to the local programs that meet their interest and fit their schedule; providing any support necessary to both the mentor and the program.
We provide training for mentoring volunteers
Using a research based approach and the resources of our local and national partners, The Mentoring Partnership has developed a comprehensive and concise mentor training tailored to fit the needs of our diverse group of partner programs. By providing quality training at no fee, programs are more inclined to participate, which results in their volunteers being better prepared. In turn, this increases the likelihood that the match will be successful and addresses a major concern of many potential or new mentors--that is, "Will I receive the guidance I need?". Topics covered include basic mentoring concepts, understanding the roles and responsibilities of mentors and where mentors turn for support once they are matched. In 2006, 1,254 individuals attended our mentor trainings and were placed with local programs. This represents a 92% increase over the number trained in 2005.
We convene staff and volunteers of local mentoring programs
To enhance communication among agencies and share best practices in mentoring, we coordinate a network of mentoring programs. The Mentoring Leadership Network (formerly known as the GPMA) includes the staff of 155+ local programs that serve youth in community based, school-based, faith based and workplace programs. Annually, ten network meetings are held with nearly 80% of the programs participating in one or more meetings.