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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 400 percent since 1998. There are now nearly 20,000 youth being mentored in local programs. However, 1,325 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.

To read The Mentoring Partnership's Strategic Plan, open the following document:

• The Mentoring Partnership's Strategic Plan

Know someone who you'd like to nominate as a Board Member for TMP? Complete the following form:

• Board Candidate Recommendation Form

Our Mission

The Mentoring Partnership of Southwestern PA’s mission is to maximize the opportunity for mentoring to transform the lives of young people so they may reach their full potential.

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 Be a 6th Grade Mentor program, a partnership between the United Way of Allegheny County, the Youth Futures Commission, Pittsburgh Public Schools and The Mentoring Partnership. We provided technical assistance throughout various phases of the project - design, training, implementation and evaluation - and we are proud to report that the program is going into its third year and has expanded to include 7th grade.

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 2010, we trained 2,541 volunteers from a variety of programs in our region, including the Be a 6th Grade Mentor program, KEYS Service Corp. and Pittsburgh Job Corps. In fact, more than half of the nearly 5,000 local adults currently serving as mentors in our region have been trained by their respective programs and/or MPSWPA.

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.