Legacy Initiatives

• Alabama

  Birmingham, Alabama, Mayor William Bell

  Mayor William Bell believed in the power of mentoring and its ability to generate new leaders for communities. Mayor Bell responded to the call to action of My Brother’s Keeper with support from the Bloomberg Foundation and the Birmingham Business Alliance and created a mentoring program for Birmingham’s young people. Recognizing the important legacy of the city and the power of mentoring to continue this legacy, Mayor Bell stated, “Birmingham has a unique place in the legacy of the Civil Rights movement. The Birmingham My Brother’s Keeper goal is to lead the nation in a new generation movement through the support of emerging leaders, a commitment to collective action and concrete accountability for results.”

• California

  Compton, California, Mayor Aja Brown

  Mayor Aja Brown recognizes the power of mentoring to unite communities and promote leadership among young people. Mayor Brown established the Her Young Ladies Empowerment Initiative in 2016 to increase mentoring opportunities for girls and young women in Compton. Mayor Brown describes the ultimate goal of the program as “[to] empower young ladies to lead their life with purpose, passion and vision.” In partnership with the My Brother’s Keeper Alliance, she also launched the Young Men of Compton Seed Program, which pairs male middle school students with mentors. The program has thrived with 25 boys and young men graduating from the program and still maintaining their relationships with their mentors years later.

• Colorado

  Denver, Colorado, Mayor Michael Hancock

  Growing up with a positive caring adult in his own life, Mayor Michael Hancock values the impact mentors have in young people’s lives. In 2017, Mayor Hancock partnered with MENTOR Colorado in an effort to help raise awareness of mentoring opportunities in the state. Responding to My Brother’s Keeper Alliance’s (MBKA) Call to Action, Mayor Hancock has strengthened Denver’s efforts to expand mentoring opportunities to young people. As a result, hundreds of adults have risen to the challenge to ensure all boys and young men of color have the supports they need. Denver’s efforts have also provided young people with summer employment and with professional networking opportunities. The Office of Independent Monitor has also joined efforts to improve relationships between young people and the Denver Police Department. Mayor Hancock’s leadership has provided Denver with a critical vision through purposeful support for young men and boys of color. Mayor Hancock said about Denver’s efforts to provide opportunity for young people, “This has been a call to action to those of us committed to the work of changing the narrative for young men and boys of color in our community. The work we’ve been able to get done so far is remarkable.”

• Florida

  Jacksonville, Florida, Mayor Alvin Brown

  Former Mayor of Jacksonville Alvin Brown viewed mentoring as a strategic necessity to promote higher levels of quality in the public school system. He worked tirelessly with nonprofit and faith-based organizations to generate fresh interest in mentoring while recruiting more than 600 volunteers to serve his “Mayor’s Mentors” program. These efforts won honors as the best mentoring program in the city, as selected by “Hands on Jax,” a local non-profit that encourages volunteerism.

  Tallahassee, Florida, Mayor Andrew D. Gillum

  Mayor Andrew D. Gillum has always shown a great deal of passion when it comes to investing in the future of Tallahassee’s young people.  In 2010, Mayor Gillum supported efforts to convert a former neighborhood recreational center into the Palmer-Monroe Teen Center to help meet the emotional, physical, artistic and educational needs of area teens and deter young people away from the Court system and toward productive and constructive activity.  Recently, Mayor Gillum called to recruit a cadre of 1,000 men and women who are willing to serve the local community by volunteering at least one hour of their time, at least once a week, to meet with a mentee.  “We cannot sacrifice our young people to a generation of hopelessness, and mentors can play a special role in helping to motivate and inspire others,” Gillum said.

  Stuart, Florida, Mayor Eula Clarke

  Mayor Eula Clarke has supported mentoring in the Stuart community in a number of ways. She has worked closely with the youth and staff at the 10^th Street Community Center to involve youth in the arts, annually has youth in the afterschool program participate in the ‘Stuart Reads the Constitution Event,’ and worked with youth and sports groups to participate in community planning and visioning events as well as community clean up efforts. Further, she works regularly with youth to participate in city-initiated community gardening projects and assists youth to have a safe celebration in neighborhoods during the 4^th of July. Although the city is unable to have a youth council due to its structure, she regularly attends youth events and rallies organized by youth-led community groups, volunteers at local high schools as a mentor for Black and Hispanic students, annually volunteers at schools during Constitution Week to teach civics to students, and more.

  St. Petersburg, Florida, Mayor Rick Kriseman

  St. Petersburg’s Mayor Rick Kriseman believes that educating our children is the responsibility of the entire community.  To that end, the city joins with the Pinellas Education Foundation in a unique partnership called St. Pete’s Promise to focus the attention of our community on the needs of our children.  In addition, the City of St. Petersburg has adopted an administrative policy providing a paid hour each week for all City of St. Petersburg employees to mentor students in need in our public schools.  More than 200 city employees take advantage of that opportunity, and more than 1/3 of our city employees contribute from their paychecks to sponsor Pinellas Education Foundation Take Stock in Children Scholarships for deserving St. Petersburg children.

• Illinois

  Chicago, Illinois, Mayor Rahm Emanuel

  During his time in office, Mayor Rahm Emanuel challenged the Chicago business community to raise $50 million over five years for early intervention programs for younger youth, as well as jobs, mentoring, recreation and conflict-resolution programs for teens to counter the city’s gang violence. Allstate Insurance CEO Tom Wilson, whose company has agreed to contribute the first $5 million, co-chaired the campaign with Loop Capital Markets CEO Jim Reynolds. Emanuel noted, “There’s the response part: policing. There’s a gun-control aspect. And there’s also a prevention piece. For everything else to work, you have to have this prevention scaled up. This is not just about getting money out. It’s about getting the right results: kids back in school or learning a skill set so they can have a productive life.”

• Indiana

  Gary, Indiana, Mayor Karen Freeman-Wilson

  Under Mayor Freeman-Wilson, the city of Gary launched the Mentoring Trust in partnership with NIPSCO, the regional utility company. NIPSCO provides eligible employees with paid time off to mentor. NIPSCO Manager of Corporate Citizenship and Employee Involvement and Gary native Eddie Melton stated, “Mentoring is going to be a key component for the turnaround, the renewal, the revival of the city.” Mayor Karen Freeman-Wilson agrees that “mentoring is a key piece in the rebuilding of our community.”

  South Bend, Indiana, Mayor Pete Buttigieg

  Mayor Pete Buttigieg is a leader in expanding mentoring opportunities to support young people in South Bend. Recognizing the influential work of Big Brothers Big Sisters of St. Joseph County as well as other community organizations, Mayor Buttigieg launched a booster club to support mentoring opportunities. Since the creation of the club, the number of mentors in South Bend has doubled. Mayor Buttigieg said about the impact of mentoring relationships, “Mentoring programs have consistently demonstrated positive outcomes for students involved, and those who have served are amazed what the relationship has done for them as well.”

  Indianapolis, Indiana, Mayor Greg Ballard

  Former Mayor of Indianapolis Greg Ballard used his public platform to promote community-wide involvement in mentoring as part of a multi-prong strategy to address one of the highest homicide rates in Indianapolis in a decade. To combat this startling increase in violence, Mayor Ballard explored the possibility of hiring more police officers and launching a youth summer employment program, in addition to working with community organizations to provide positive adult mentors for at-risk youth. “People often approach me to ask how they can help the city, and I always suggest that they mentor a child,” Ballard said. “One of the greatest things an adult can do to improve education, reduce crime and contribute to building a better city is help a young person in need and show them you care.

  Lebanon, Indiana, Mayor Huck Lewis

  Former Mayor of Lebanon Huck Lewis promoted mentoring in Lebanon in an effort to increase academic achievement and reduce poverty in the community. The mayor’s office collaborated with a local utility company, Witham Hospital, the local United Way and community foundation, faith-based organizations, several businesses, and the Boys and Girls Club. The partners implemented a plan to provide mentors to low-income youth, giving them extra support and connecting them to opportunity. Mayor Lewis said that mentoring strengthens his city’s economic development. “We’re developing the next leadership in the community, and we need a trainable workforce that will match up with any community in Indiana,” Lewis stated.

• Kentucky

  Lexington, Kentucky, Mayor Jim Gray

  Mayor Jim Gray understands the importance of caring adults showing up for young people. In 2017, he developed the City Mentors program, which offers city employees two hours of paid leave a week to mentor youth. Mayor Gray’s administration actively recruits employees to join City Mentors and holds trainings for businesses that are interested in encouraging their employees to become mentors. The city has also helped cultivate a partnership between the Lexington Police Department and Fayette County Public Schools in order to best reach the young people of Lexington. In his 2017 State of the City Address Mayor Gray said, “You don’t need to be perfect. You just have to be there for a young person. The time investment is modest. The emotional and community benefits are enormous.”

  Louisville, Kentucky, Mayor Greg Fischer

  Mayor Greg Fischer strives to promote compassion in Louisville through a variety of programs, ranging from the Give A Day community-wide service initiative to a concerted, long-term effort to reduce violence. Mentoring is a part of Mayor Fischer’s dedication to fostering compassion and the skills for lifelong learning and success throughout Louisville. Mayor Fischer has created the Metro Mentors program, which allows thousands of Louisville Metro Government employees the opportunity to give two hours of paid time per week to a variety of mentoring programs. These programs include Big Brothers Big Sisters, Metro Parks & Recreation and the public school system’s reading and tutoring program. The Metro Mentors program allows city employees an opportunity to help Louisville’s youth become the successful, dedicated leaders of tomorrow.

• Lousiana

  New Orleans, Louisiana, Mayor Mitchell Landrieu

  Former Mayor of New Orleans Mitchell Landrieu’s NOLA FOR LIFE, a comprehensive strategy to tackle the city’s high murder rate,  announced that 23 local nonprofit organizations were awarded a total of $500,000 to deliver high-quality programs and social services to young men who are most at risk of killing or being killed. Youth mentoring is one of the interventions used in several of the grantee programs. “When we created the NOLA FOR LIFE plan, we knew that we had to take a holistic approach to stemming the violence that rips at the heart and soul of our city,” Landrieu said. “To help these young men have a future, and to end the cycle of violence and death on our streets, we must have all hands on deck and we must join forces and provide the financial, human and institutional resources to work with (them).” Chevron was the first major donor to the NOLA FOR LIFE Fund, giving $1 million; the City of New Orleans contributed $250,000.

• Maryland

  Baltimore, Maryland, Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake

  Former Mayor of Baltimore Stephanie Rawlings-Blake was committed to providing high-quality education and opportunities for mentoring to all of Baltimore’s youth. In 2010, she rolled out a targeted effort to match mentors with 235 children from neighborhoods with historically high rates of violence through a public/private partnership that included Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Maryland and Comcast. In her 2015 State of the City Address, Mayor Rawlings-Blake issued a Call to Action where she asked men to commit to making a difference in the lives of Baltimore’s children, to serve as mentors, volunteers, tutors, job training coaches, and more. This call to action provides resources for men interested in serving as mentors, as well as youth interested in becoming mentees. As part of that Call to Action, Mayor Rawlings-Blake hosted “Women Leading Baltimore,” which paired 25 high school girls with women in leadership positions for a day of training. Mayor Rawlings-Blake said about the power of mentoring, “We should all remember as mentors that we can speak light and courage and hope and dreams into our young women, even when we don’t think they’re paying attention.”

  Greensboro, Maryland Mayor Kevin Reichart

  Throughout his time in public service, Mayor Kevin Reichart has made youth development programs and services a priority. Mayor Reichart is a past-president of the Caroline County Youth Soccer Association and has been the coach of several youth sports. He is a strong advocate for the Caroline County YMCA’s Mentoring Project and is working to grow the partnership between the Y and the town. Mayor Reichart is also a member of the Caroline County Recreation and Parks Advisory Board and continues to assist with Greensboro youth and family events such as the Fishing Derby and Kids in the Park Days. As the Operations Manager of a local grocery store, many high school students even first enter the workforce and gain experience under his supervision, so he knows first-hand the difference community programs can make in preparing our youth for a successful future.

• Massachusetts

  Brockton, Massachusetts, Mayor Linda Balzotti

  Former Mayor of Brockton Linda M. Balzotti served as mayor for four years as the city’s first female mayor until 2013. In 2012, the Mass Mentoring Partnership launched their own regional Mayors for Mentoring campaign with former mayor Balzotti as one of the first to participate. Throughout her tenure in office, she helped promote mentoring in the local community each January during National Mentoring Month. She attended Brockton’s 5th Annual Mentor Recruitment Rally and hosted a cable show, “Our City,” with representatives from Big Brothers Big Sisters as guests to promote the event. “Mentors have the unique opportunity to shape the futures of young men and women in communities across the Commonwealth,” Mayor Balzotti said. “They play a vital part in awakening the spark of potential that these youth might not always see in themselves.”

• Minnesota

  Minneapolis, Minnesota, Mayor R.T. Rybak

  Former Mayor of Minneapolis R.T. Rybak in partnership with numerous community stakeholders, created a Blueprint for Action, which drew on a mix of increased law enforcement and public health strategies to address the root causes of violence and significantly reduce and prevent youth violence. Mentoring is front and center in the Blueprint’s goals to connect every youth with a trusted adult; intervene at the first sign that youth are at risk for violence; restore youth who have gone down the wrong path; and unlearn the culture of violence in the community.

• Missouri

  Kansas City, Missouri, Mayor Sly James

  During his time in office, Mayor Sly James was committed to ensuring every child received a high-quality education regardless of where they live or their socioeconomic background. Mayor James supported several initiatives designed to ensure the success of Kansas City’s young people, including the Women’s Empowerment (WE) Initiative, a program designed to support careers of women in the science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) fields, and the national Million Women Mentors initiative, which aims to find mentors for girls and young women interested in STEM careers.

• Nebraska

  Hildreth, Nebraska, Mayor Roger Boyer

  Former Mayor of Hildreth Roger Boyer, is a life-long educator and public servant whose commitment to mentoring led to the founding of two TeamMates Mentoring Program chapters, providing hundreds of students with the support and encouragement of a mentor. He served on the Board of Directors for the Wilcox-Hildreth chapter of TeamMates and had two mentees with whom he met every week. For his efforts, Mayor Boyer was recognized at the Midland Mentoring Partnership’s 2015 Mentoring Awareness Luncheon. Based on his years of experience as a mentor, Roger said, “I truly understand the power of mentoring and want to have it available to as many of our students as possible.” Mayor Boyer encouraged organizations in the area to support the local TeamMates chapter financially and issued a proclamation in November 2015 to affirm the city’s support for mentoring and to raise awareness of the need for mentors in the community. As mayor, Roger continuously advocated for the expansion of mentoring opportunities because “mentoring is a key component in helping students be successful and is a powerful investment in their future.”

  Hickman, Nebraska, Mayor Doug Hanson

  Former Mayor of Hickman Doug Hanson, was involved with the TeamMates Mentoring Program for 14 years and strongly encouraged others to get involved in mentoring, saying, “I believe it is important to recognize the value of mentoring for young people and of the benefits you receive for volunteering just a little of your time.” During his time in TeamMates, Mayor Hanson mentored multiple young men through high school graduation. “My first mentee was the first male in his immediate family to graduate from high school. This accomplishment was very rewarding for him and I felt equally rewarded.” As mayor, Hanson provided city employees with flexible schedules so they can mentor during the work day and issued a public statement in support of them doing so. Doug will continues to champion TeamMates in Nebraska and hopes to see more public institutions support mentoring. “I would encourage other mayors and elected officials to allow your staff to mentor through programs like TeamMates and to take part in such a rewarding experience yourself as well.”

  Holdrege, Nebraska, Mayor Doug Young

  Doug Young, mayor of Holdrege, Nebraska, is a true believer and supporter mentoring in Nebraska. Mayor Young has been an active volunteer mentor for four years and currently has two mentees. Not only is serving his community by serving as a mentor, but has provided leadership on the local TeamMates Mentoring Partnership Advisory Board for three years. He is active in TeamMates and is involved in various other organizations focused on youth. He connects with youth through community organizations Kiwanas, Awanas, and helps with the Nebraska State Wrestling tournament. In January, 2015 , Mayor Young submitted a mayoral proclamation in support of National Mentoring Month. Something Mayor Young has said to his mentee is, “You have to believe in yourself before others believe in you!”

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• New Jersey

  Newark, New Jersey, Mayor Cory Booker

  In partnership with former Mayor of Newark Cory Booker, the Newark Mentoring Movement (NMM) was officially launched in July of 2012. NMM strived to embed mentoring into the culture of the City of Newark. NMM planned to match 10,000 youth in healthy mentoring relationships by 2017 with the help of strong leaders in the city. Since the organization’s inception, NMM held multiple mentor recruitment efforts at local colleges/universities, built advisory relationships with 17 local mentoring programs, and developed various strategies to engage local corporations to adopt corporate mentoring models. NMM also started the initial recruitment stages of high-quality national mentoring providers that are not presently engaged in Newark. The Mayor’s leadership during his tenure helped set the stage for NMM to transform the community through effective mentoring relationships.

• New York

  New York City, New York, Mayor Michael Bloomberg

  Former Mayor of New York City Michael Bloomberg included youth mentoring in several citywide initiatives with training provided by MENTOR New York. Launched in 2009, NYC Service aimed to set higher standards in tackling the city’s most pressing challenges through volunteerism to strengthen communities; help neighbors in need; improve education; protect the environment; increase public health; and enhance emergency preparedness. Systemized and less expensive criminal background checks were a part of this initiative. Bloomberg’s Young Men’s Initiative to reclaim the lives of New York’s young men of color included Cornerstone programs that offered mentoring at sites in Brooklyn, Manhattan, the Bronx, and Queens. Finally, NYC Success Mentors, which has been highlighted at a variety of MENTOR events, is a research-based, data-driven mentoring model that seeks to improve attendance, behavior and educational outcomes for students at risk in low-income communities. This was the largest public school-based mentoring effort in the country and has resulted in an increase in thousands of school days for New York City students.

  New York City, New York, Mayor Bill de Blasio

  In support of New York City schools, Mayor de Blasio created The Community Schools initiative, a resource supporting youth and their families to help them achieve their best selves. As a part of this initiative, youth are matched with AmeriCorps mentors who serve as role models and provide guidance throughout their school experience. A main focus of the mentoring component is improving chronic absenteeism and promoting increased school engagement. 128 schools and counting are affiliated with the initiative, with over 2500 youth ultimately experiencing the benefits of a mentoring relationship. In 2015, Mayor de Blasio has made several calls to action to citizens and businesses in New York City, asking them to help strengthen the local community by investing in mentoring. Sharing his belief in the power of mentoring in a recent statement Mayor de Blasio can be quoted as saying, “A few hours a week to impact one life — one life to change countless others. And you have the power and the opportunity to make that difference.”

  Buffalo, New York, Mayor Byron W. Brown

  Mayor Byron Brown knows the positive effect that support from a caring adult can have on a young person. In 2015, he launched the City of Buffalo Mentoring Program, which aims to increase the number of city employees who serve as mentors to young people. As a result of this initiative, 80 city employees are now committed to mentoring youth. Mayor Brown has also held trainings and information sessions in partnership with Say Yes Buffalo Mentoring Program, which pairs students who are graduating from high school and enrolling in college with a mentor. When speaking about the City of Buffalo Mentoring Program, he said, “There is a saying that it takes a village to raise a child…I’m proud of the city employees who stepped up to help mentor our children to help prepare them to be the future leaders of our city.”

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• North Carolina

  Charlotte, North Carolina, Mayor Jennifer Roberts

  Former Mayor of Charlotte Jennifer Roberts actively supported local children and youth initiatives by engaging with community organizations working to improve outcomes for Charlotte’s young people. She supported the Mayor’s Mentoring Alliance, a coalition of 50 existing mentoring organizations that worked together with a primary focus on providing positive role models for young people in areas ranging from academic assistance to leadership development, and accepted the challenge to become a My Brother’s Keeper Community (MBKC) to provide additional support to young people from communities of the highest need.

• Oklahoma

  Tulsa, Oklahoma, Mayor Dewey Bartlett

  Former Mayor of Tulsa Dewey Bartlett and his Mayor’s Mentoring Breakfast during National Mentoring Month was not only a celebration, but also a call to increase the number of mentors who volunteered in one-to-one and school-based settings. “Mentoring is not just a one-day-a-week effort, it’s a long-term commitment,” Bartlett said in his remarks. Panelists at the breakfast who attested to the positive outcomes of mentoring represented organizations such as Big Brothers Big Sisters of Oklahoma, the Tulsa Chamber of Commerce (Partners in Education), the YMCA and Capital One. The mayor’s wife, Victoria, spearheaded the “Mentoring to the Max” program for several years, and recruited others to experience the joy of mentoring. “I have a vision for this city,” she said. “We have 10,131 children that live in poverty. I believe that we need to recruit every corporation, every faith-based group to go into our public schools, to allow their employees to go one hour a week to read to a child and stay with that child all the way through high school. We will be interrupting the cycle of poverty.”

• Ohio

  Dayton, Ohio Mayor Nan Whaley

  Mayor Nan Whaley has been a long-time supporter of mentoring within the Dayton community. One of Mayor Whaley’s key initiatives has been to make Dayton a City of Learners. Through this initiative, she launched a city-wide effort to support Dayton’s schools and students in achieving new levels of success and to build a stronger workforce for the future. One key pillar of this initiative is promoting mentoring, with a focus on quality; she has encouraged all mentoring agencies to become a partner with The Mentoring Collaborative, which provides critical training in The Elements of Effective Practice for Mentoring. This commitment has also been reflected in her public comments. Some of her other accomplishments include increasing funding for after-school and summer learning programs; facilitating community partners working with new state guidelines to connect employers and students to careers and support them in career planning; and establishing high quality, affordable preschool for every 4-year-old in Dayton. In 2018, Mayor Whaley was awarded the John E. Moore Champion of Youth Award, which recognizes a person who exemplifies the qualities of a Champion of Youth through their example of leadership, involvement with youth, and promotion of mentoring within their organization and the community.

• Oklahoma

  Norman, Oklahoma Mayor Breea D. Clark, J.D.

  Mayor Breea Clark has supported mentoring as the mayor of Norman, Oklahoma since her first election to the Norman City Council in 2016. Mayor Clark continuously encourages city residents to become mentors and volunteer for the various non-profits that support mentoring efforts in the Norman community. In her role as mayor, she regularly recognizes and celebrates National Mentoring Month via official proclamation and continues to demonstrate her support for mentoring in all the activities that she participates in city-wide. Impacted by mentors in her own personal and professional life, including former Mayors Cindy Rosenthal and Lynne Miller, Mayor Clark stated, “Mentorship not only benefits those in the mentorship relationship but strengthens the whole community. I am grateful to all the organizations in Norman that support mentorship efforts and create mentorship opportunities. I am proud to lead by example by serving as a mentor to others. I will continue to encourage others to engage in mentorship because it’s a fund and social way to truly impact the Norman community and its residents for generations to come.

• Pennsylvania

  Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Mayor Michael Nutter

  Former Mayor of Philadelphia Michael Nutter, as part of his education platform, established the Graduation Coaches Campaign within the Office of Education in 2011. The program paired mentors with young people to coach them through high school and into college. MENTOR Independence Region United Way’s Campaign for Mentors provided funding and training. To date, more than 1,800 coaches have been trained to work with Philadelphia’s youth.

  Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Mayor William Peduto

  Mayor William “Bill” Peduto is a staunch advocate for mentoring in the City of Pittsburgh and beyond. His Mayor’s Mentoring Initiative (MMI) consists of three programs that aim to encourage City of Pittsburgh employees to get involved with mentoring youth in the community. The program includes paid time off for eligible employees to participate in local mentoring programs. Mayor Peduto shows that making an impact through mentoring is one of the most powerful ways to provide our youth with an advantageous experience towards a better future.

• Rhode Island

  Warwick, Rhode Island, Mayor Scott Avedisian

  Former Mayor of Warwick Scott Avedisian was a long-time supporter of mentoring as the former mayor of MENTOR Rhode Island’s host city, and was a staunch supporter of the Warwick Mentor Program operated by MENTOR Rhode Island. He allowed Warwick city employees to mentor, advocated for increased funding for mentoring, and was a key participant in numerous mentoring events and celebrations. During these events he always offered thanks to mentors for their hard work in improving the community by helping the children. He validated efforts by always noting what he saw throughout Warwick as evidence that mentoring works.

• South Carolina

  Columbia, South Carolina, Mayor Steve Benjamin

  Mayor Steve Benjamin launched the Mayor’s Mentoring Network, a new mentor recruitment partnership between his office and mentoring organizations throughout the community, which can register with the network to receive volunteer referrals. In addition, Benjamin leveraged National Mentoring Month with his announcement of #MensChallenge, a new campaign to recruit more male mentors for Columbia’s young men. “We believe that Columbia has the potential to become the most talented, educated and entrepreneurial city in the America,” said Benjamin. “But in order make that vision a reality, we have to make a real and lasting investment in our children.”

  Mayor John Tecklenburg

  Charleston, South Carolina. Mayor John Tecklenburg has been committed to committed to improving citizens’ quality of life and making Charleston a city of opportunity for all – especially young people. Through the Mayor’s Office for Children, Youth and Families (MOCYF), Mayor Tecklenburg supports the Annual Youth Summit, which is planned and facilitated each year by high school students serving on the Mayor’s Youth Commission. During this event, students meet with the Mayor to discuss the topics and issues that are relevant to them today, and plan a summit to engage their peers from Charleston County High Schools in discussions on those issues.

  Most recently, Mayor Tecklenburg has taken on the challenge of uniting the youth development/mentoring resources in the City of Charleston first by establishing January as National Mentoring Month through proclamation. Through his MOCYF he has since partnered with youth advocates across the city to establish the first ever Mayor’s Mentoring Consortium: a network of direct service providers that meet monthly to discuss best practices through shared learning and partnerships. The mayor has been instrumental in linking MENTOR’s national database of youth mentoring programs as a clickable link embedded in the city’s website. This has been a tremendous asset to the community, as they now have a one-stop shop to locate programs that provide mentoring services, as well as the chance for community members to get connected to additional volunteer opportunities.

  Official webpage: https://www.charleston-sc.gov/400/Mayor
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• Tennessee

  Memphis, Tennessee, Mayor Jim Strickland

  Mayor Jim Strickland recognizes the important role of relationships in uniting communities. As Mayor, he has issued a call to action that includes asking Memphians to become mentors and initiatives that empower youth. In partnership with MENTOR Memphis Grizzlies, the Mayor calls for all adults to commit one hour a week to mentoring. Additionally, in order to help close the reading gap, he encourages Memphians to participate in the Shelby County Schools’ Team Read initiative using developmental relationship building to encourage learning. Mayor Strickland also launched the Adopt-A-Block initiative that promotes youth involvement in their communities. Mayor Strickland hopes to have 10,000 Memphians become mentors. Understanding the importance of leading by example, in January 2017, Mayor Strickland volunteered to become a mentor to a young 7th grade student at Grizzlies Prep.

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• Texas

  San Antonio, Texas, Mayor Ivy R. Taylor

  Former Mayor of San Antonio Ivy R. Taylor was committed to ensuring that every San Antonian was connected to opportunities for prosperity. One of the Mayor’s most important initiatives, My Brother’s Keeper San Antonio (MBKSA), sought to change the life outcomes of those in their community by ensuring that all youth, regardless of what zip code they grew up in, had the same opportunities to succeed. Mentoring was a key component to accomplishing that task. One-on-one caring relationships with a responsible adult can make a tremendous difference in the lives of young men and boys. Through her work with Big Brothers Big Sisters, Mayor Taylor herself mentored a young girl from junior high into high school. Additionally, the Mayor launched the San Antonio Mentoring Collaborative to recruit 10,000 mentors from the city’s faith community to serve local students.

  Houston, Texas, Mayor Sylvester Turner

  Mayor Sylvester Turner, born and raised in Houston, has prioritized the city’s resilience and an improved quality of life for all residents.

  He is an advocate for My Brother’s Keeper (MBK) Houston, including its focus on mentorship, to support boys and young men of color and the communities they live in. Mayor Turner served as a role model and mentor to Asa Singleton, MBK Youth Voice/Ambassador. He invited Asa to sit on the mayor’s Youth Council to speak about youth violence and helped MBK Houston become a national model for other cities to replicate.

  MBK Houston partnered with Change Happens, a nonprofit organization that transforms the lives of families and children in high-risk communities throughout Houston, to apply for the inaugural Obama Foundation Community Challenge Grant. Following a rigorous nationwide review, MBK Houston and Change Happens were selected as winners. As a result, Change Happens will leverage this funding to expand its flagship mentoring program at Jack Yates High School in Houston’s Third Ward.

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• Wisconsin

  Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Mayor Tom Barrett

  Mayor Tom Barrett believes that mentoring serves as an important building block for setting young people up for success. In response to the My Brother’s Keeper Alliance’s Call to Action, Mayor Barrett created a comprehensive plan to increase graduation rates, support young people with professional development and increase opportunities for youth in Milwaukee. In partnership with the Milwaukee Bucks and Milwaukee Public Schools, Mayor Barrett is also working to expand mentoring opportunities for youth. The program’s private-public partnership demonstrates a critical need for collaboration across sectors. Mayor Barrett once said, “By creating more mentoring opportunities, we are making sure every young person in the City has a positive influence to shape their future.”

  Sheboygan, Wisconsin, Mayor Michael Vandersteen

  Serving in his second term, Mayor Vandersteen was first elected in 2013. A longtime Sheboygan community advocate, Vandersteen has served as a Jaycee, on the boards of Big Brothers Big Sisters, Downtown Rotary and Rotary Foundation, YMCA, and the United Way Campaign Cabinet. During his time on the board of BBBS Sheboygan County, he piloted the Lunch Buddy program which resulted in a significant increase in mentors joining the program. As mayor, Vandersteen has continued to demonstrate his leadership for mentoring by celebrating National Mentoring Month, inviting local mentoring programs to Common Council meetings to talk about their efforts, and encouraging city employees to becoming mentors.