CHAMPAIGN, Ill. (WAND) — To celebrate National Mentoring Month, CU One to One Mentoring and the Unit 4 School District are expanding mentoring opportunities to connect caring adults with local youth.
These local events are being held to celebrate current mentors, over 500, and offer recruitment opportunities for prospective mentors.
January 18 – Mentor Breakfast 7:15 – 8:30 a.m., Stone Creek Church, 2502 S. Race St, Urbana
Current mentors and interested mentors are invited to attend for a light breakfast and presentation from Dr. Ed Fitch entitled “Communication and Emotional First Aid”.
January 25 – Thank Your Mentor Day
Mentor Benefit Cards are good all day long at participating businesses*. Local businesses celebrate the positive impact of mentors in our schools with giveaways on Jan. 25 for mentors. Several business owners have sponsored this event for more than 10 years. (Body ‘n Sole sees the highest mentor traffic on this day. They have been a sponsor for 20 years!)
January 25 – Connect 4 Mentoring – 6:00 – 8:00 p.m., Harvest Market – Farmhouse Restaurant (upstairs), 2029 S. Neil, Champaign
Want to know more about mentoring? Come join Mentor Coordinators and mentors at this social, featuring a Connect 4 Challenge and a chance to ask questions about mentoring.
New Mentor Recruitment – to sign up for New Mentor training, contact Lauren Smith (smithla@u4sd.org)
- Tuesday, January 30 – 6:30 – 8:30 p.m. – Champaign Mellon Building, 703 S. New, Champaign
- Wednesday, February 7 – 11:30 – 1:30 – Champaign Mellon Building, 703 S. New, Champaign
- Thursday, February 22 – 6:30 – 8:30 p.m. – Urbana Middle School, 1201 S. Vine, Urbana
According to CU One to One, 74% of young adults who had a meaningful mentor relationship say that their mentor contributed significantly to their success later in life.
"Today’s 18-21-year-olds express unmet mentoring needs around depression, anxiety, and suicidality at 4 times the rate of Baby Boomers and more than double the rates for Millennials," stated the organization in a release. "They are even 47% more likely than their slightly older 22-24-year old peers to cite mental health challenges."
*Participating businesses include: Art Mart, Body n’ Sole, Enchantment Alley, Golden Weather Goods, Hacienda Agave, The Idea Store, Siam Terrace, Smith Burger Food Truck, Ten Thousand Villages, Walnut Street Tea Co.
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