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Be someone who matters, to someone who matters

What if every child was sent on the right path in life? What if every child stayed in school? Attained education or training beyond high school? Gave back to their communities? What if every child was encouraged and empowered to fulfill their potential? Well, that would be something BIG wouldn’t it? How can we get started and make these “what if’s” a reality? How can we build brighter futures for all of our youth?

According to Big Brothers Big Sisters of America, there are roughly 10 million children in the U.S. who are “at-risk”. They are at-risk of falling behind, of being overlooked and of never realizing their full potential. Nearly 22 percent of our nation’s youth 16.1 million children from all backgrounds live in poverty (U.S. Census Bureau, 2011). The U.S. Department of Education tells us that one in five students does not graduate from high school on time with his or her peers. The violence taking place in communities large and small too often involves youth as both the perpetrators and the victims. The bullying that we read about involves youth who feel isolated from their peers in a society racked by persistent unemployment and economic uncertainty. The children in our local communities are not immune from these risk factors.

America is at a crossroads. There is a critical need to invest time and energy in our youth. In a recent Presidential Proclamation, President Barack Obama states, “Every American shares in the obligation to widen the circle of opportunity for our young people. Our neighbors’ children are our children and our country must show them we care about and value their boundless potential.”

How exactly can you engage in this mission? At times, the situation on the grand scale seems overwhelming. Can one person really make a difference? Yes, you can. You can contribute to breaking cycles of poverty. You can contribute to improved academic outlooks and achievement for youth. You can help children to find healthy perspectives in following their path to success in life. But, how can one person do all of this?

As we celebrate National Mentoring Month in January, it is my responsibility to share with you that there is one strategy to positive youth development that is proven successful and is fairly simple to apply. Mentor a child. Mentoring is a critical component to solutions addressing all of these societal challenges our children face. You can start by intentionally investing your time and attention in healthy relationships

with the young people already in your life which fosters naturally occurring mentoring relationships. However, we cannot afford to leave mentoring to chance. Too many children do not have mentoring relationships available to them. There is a critical need for people who are willing to go beyond by volunteering to serve as a mentor to a child through a professionally supported mentoring program. There is always a need for more volunteers.

The core message of National Mentoring Month is Be Someone Who Matters to Someone Who Matters. The National Mentoring Partnership expands on this message, “mentoring relationships are basic human connections that let a young person know that they matter, and mentors frequently report back that their relationships make them feel like someone who matters in another person’s life.” Mentoring works. Young people participating in quality mentoring programs are thriving and doing better in school; they’re equipped to make better decisions and to demonstrate healthier behaviors. They are also more likely to develop into responsible, productive and engaged adults who in turn nurture their own children for success. When you mentor a child, it is the start of something BIG. Not only does mentoring impact the individual child but the investment of time also offers broader impact. The mentoring effect strengthens communities.

Become a mentor and you can be more than you ever thought you’d be. You can Be Someone Who Matters to Someone Who Matters.

Maggie M. Munch, MPA, is program director U.P. Kids Big Brothers Big Sisters

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