MENTOR Partners with NBA Family to Increase Mentoring “In Real Life”
March 8, 2016
In January, MENTOR: The National Mentoring Partnership (MENTOR) celebrated National Mentoring Month with the launch of its signature campaign In Real Life as part of a collective effort to focus national attention on the need for mentors, identifying the importance of mentoring and the positive effect it can have on young lives.
In partnership with the NBA family, and in response to President Obama’s My Brother’s Keeper initiative and the call-to-action to deliver on the promise of opportunity for all of America’s young people, In Real Life challenges Americans to mentor or become involved so that every young person is connected to the kind of meaningful relationships that provide us all with networks of support and opportunity.
To kick-off the campaign, MENTOR and the NBA collaborated on various elements:
- A collection of video vignettes featuring NBA players including Marcus Smart, Karl-Anthony Towns, Carmelo Anthony and Al Horford discussing the positive effects of mentoring in their lives
- An op-ed published in USA Today written by former NBA player and MENTOR founding board member, Bill Russell, about the importance of mentoring
- A blog post series recognizing NBA basketball teams including the Los Angeles Lakers, Memphis Grizzlies and Boston Celtics for their work in support of youth mentoring
Additional efforts, including the 2016 NBA All-Star Weekend where NBA Cares Ambassador and mentoring advocate Bob Lanier addressed the crowd, were promoted on MENTOR’s Facebook, Twitter and Instagram accounts throughout January.
To learn more about those who have committed to helping improve the lives of our country’s young people by joining the mentoring movement in real life, read MENTOR’s series of written stories featuring some of the most inspiring leaders in the movement, and look out for new In Real Life content throughout the year.
Additional information about the In Real Life campaign and how to get involved in this continuing effort can be found on MENTOR’s website.