Mentor Washington

National Mentoring Month 2025 Igniting Potential, Inspiring Futures. Every connection sparks endless possibilities through mentorship.

This January, join us in celebrating National Mentoring Month, a time to amplify the transformative power of mentors in partnership with Seattle Mentors. Together, we champion the profound impact of mentoring that helps young people discover their passions and achieve their dreams. Our collaborative efforts focus on elevating mentorship as a critical component of youth development and community empowerment.

Dive into the heart of mentorship with our premiere documentary, amplifying the heart work of impactful mentors and their inspiring stories. Throughout the month, we'll feature special events, highlight impactful mentor-mentee relationships, and encourage everyone to become part of the mentor movement.

Let's harness our collective power to support young people, making mentorship a priority and highlighting how it can change lives. Join us in igniting hope and nurturing potential in our youth.

Learn more about how to Join the Mentor Movement this National Mentoring Month! 

For two decades, MENTOR Washington has been at the forefront of fostering meaningful connections that change lives. Our commitment has supported a beautifully diverse community of youth across Washington State, guiding them through challenges and opportunities alike.

Youth We Impact:

• 51% of youth in state mentoring programs are involved with the juvenile justice system or experiencing foster or kinship care.
• 74% of these young individuals come from low-income households, facing unique challenges that require tailored support.
• 64% of mentored youth identify as BIPOC, bringing diverse perspectives and enriching the mentoring experience.

Supporting Mentors

At MENTOR Washington, we believe every young person deserves a champion. Through advocacy, training, and direct support, we empower mentors and programs dedicated to nurturing the potential of every child. Our ongoing efforts ensure that mentors are equipped to provide the guidance and support that make all the difference.

MENTOR Washington is proud to work with so many agencies in Washington State. We have developed partnerships and deep relationships over the past 20 years. We work collaboratively to directly support vulnerable youth as well as impact systems change. MENTOR Washington is a critical part of the safety net for the most vulnerable youth in Washington State.

Our partnership with DCYF goes all the way back to our roots. The work began at DSHS and has transitioned to DCYF. We collaboratively support mentorship for youth experiencing foster care and the juvenile justice system.  

MENTOR Washington provides critical support to programs providing mentorship to the most vulnerable youth in our communities. This is achieved through shared work with DCYF staff members including professional development and robust programming such as our pilot for Mentoring Youth Experiencing Foster Care. This pilot launched in 2023 and MENTOR Washington brings together DCYF staff, mentoring providers and young adults with lived experience to implement best practices.

The education of Washington youth is a critical component of a young person's growth and development. Our partners at OSPI know that relationships between educators and students matter. A community's support is also critical for healthy schools and OSPI has proven to be champions of mentoring time and time again. 

Mentoring is an evidenced-based prevention strategy for substance abuse and positively impacts behavioral health. Our partners at the Health Care Authority collaborate with MENTOR Washington to review mentoring programs who apply for HCA funding, ensuring that programs are indeed implementing best practices for mentoring.

If you provide community based mentoring and are looking for funding we might have a resource for you! Start by filling out our Mentoring Practices Survey*. Once you fill out the survey:

1. You will met with someone on MENTOR Washington's team and they will discuss with you if you are eligible for Community Prevention & Wellness funding through the Healthcare Authority and local CPWI coalitions.
2. Our team will work with you to see what support you may need for your mentoring program to optimize youth outcomes!

*If you already filled out the Mentoring Practices Survey recently feel free to reach out to Harmony at [email protected]

Join us in advocating for youth mentorship on Advocacy Day, February 11th, 2025! To best prepare, consider participating in our optional preparation call on February 4th, 2025, where we'll equip you with strategies and insights for your legislative meetings.

How MENTOR Washington can support:

• Preparation Call: An optional session on February 4th, 2025 to hone your advocacy skills and prepare for impactful discussions with legislators about youth mentorship.

Tuesday Feb 4th 12-1pm PST Pre-Call Registration Link

• Legislative Meeting Toolkit: A comprehensive one-pager with talking points specifically designed to highlight the critical role of mentorship in supporting our youth.

Scheduling Your Legislative Meetings:

• Self-Scheduling: Feel free to schedule your virtual meetings with legislators at your convenience.
• Scheduling Assistance: Our team is available to assist in scheduling these calls for you. Please let us know how we can help.

Register Here

****IMPORTANT**** There is pre-work involved that needs to be completed before the training dates, otherwise we are unable to let you in into the training!

Join us for a comprehensive online training session on youth mental health first aid. This event is designed to equip participants with the knowledge and skills needed to provide initial help to young people experiencing mental health challenges or crises.

During this training, you will learn practical strategies to identify common mental health issues in youth, including anxiety, depression, and substance abuse. The instructor will guide you through interactive sessions, role-playing exercises, and real life stories to enhance your understanding.

Part 1 of the training will take place on Tues, Feb 11th, 2025 at 10:00AM-1:00PM PST. It will cover topics such as risk factors, warning signs, and effective communication techniques. Part 2 will follow next week at the same time at Tues, Feb 18th, 2025 at 10:00AM-1:00PM PST to delve deeper into intervention strategies and resources.

Don't miss this opportunity to become a certified youth mental health first aider and make a positive impact in the lives of young individuals. Register now to secure your spot!

Register Here

We have little extra seats beyond the 25 tickets, please reach out to me personally if you yourself or a small team is still wanting to register. My email address is the following: [email protected]

Untold Legacies is a four-part workshop that investigates the origins of the mentoring field and the impacts it has on today's mentoring programs through the lens of equitable, inclusive, and empowering based programming. Throughout this training, participants will reflect on and adapt their programs to approach mentoring through an asset-based liberatory model. This is a training designed to take place over four days with two facilitators.

Session Overview:

• An investigation of the origins of the mentoring field and exploration of inclusive mentoring models/stories.
• The discovery of how this creates an inclusive, liberatory space; and implications for systemic change within your mentoring programming.
• A collaborative workshop to begin reflecting on changes that can be made within your organization to approach your work through an asset-based liberatory lens

Participants will:

• Create a plan of action to begin the process of change within their programming
• Walk away with tools to assess and create continuous change within their mentoring programs
• Be able to participate in an optional 3-month check in to discuss changes, receive feedback, and answer lingering questions

When:

• Wednesday Feb 19th 10-1pm (PST); 12-3pm (CST); 1-4pm (EST)
• Wednesday Feb 26th 10-12pm (PST); 12-2pm (CST); 1-3pm (EST)
• Wednesday March 5th 10-12pm (PST); 12-2pm (CST); 1-3pm (EST)
• Wednesday March 12th 10-12pm (PST); 12-2pm (CST); 1pm-3pm (EST)

Registration Here