National Mentoring Month

National Mentoring Month is a campaign held each January to promote youth mentoring in the United States.[1] It was inaugurated in 2002,[2] and is spearheaded by the Harvard School of Public Health,[3] MENTOR,[4] and the Corporation for National and Community Service.[5]

National Mentoring Month logo, designed by Milton Glaser.

Each year since 2002, President George W. Bush has endorsed the campaign by proclaiming January as National Mentoring Month.[6] The declaration has been endorsed by both chambers of the United States Congress. The campaign's media partners have included ABC, CBS, Fox News, and NBC; Comcast; the National Association of Broadcasters; Time Warner; and Viacom.[7]

Participants in the National Mentoring Month campaign include leading nonprofit organizations and numerous governors and mayors. Designated nonprofit and governmental agencies are responsible for coordinating local campaign activities in communities across the country, including media outreach and volunteer recruitment. Local lead partners include state and local affiliates of MENTOR/National Mentoring Partnership, Corporation for National and Community Service, Points of Light Foundation and Volunteer Center National Network, America's Promise, Big Brothers Big Sisters of America, Communities in Schools, America Mentors and United Way of America.

A highlight of the campaign is Thank Your Mentor Day,[8] in which Americans thank and honor their mentors. People are encouraged to contact their mentors directly to express appreciation, become a mentor in their own community, make a financial contribution to a local mentoring program, or post a tribute on WhoMentoredYou.org.[3]

Colin Powell was the lead spokesperson for National Mentoring Month 2009.

As President, Barack Obama agreed to be featured in a print ad in support of National Mentoring Month 2009.[9]