Developing a Community of Mentors

How can a community harness the people in the lives of youth to help them gain a larger vision for their future than they would on their own?

The practice of mentoring has historically made a positive, demonstrable impact on helping young people pursue healthy social behaviors, achieve greater academic performance, and strong relationships with those around them.  In an impact study by the mentoring-focused non-profit Big Brothers/Big Sisters, students who were mentored were:
  • Almost half as likely to use drugs
  • Only 26% as likely to drink alcohol
  • One-third less likely to hit someone
  • More likely to attend school regularly
  • More likely to improve their GPA
  • More likely to have better parent/peer relationships

The importance of mentoring has also been clearly identified as a high priority in a series of local initiatives, including the Hispanic Education Initiative Workgroup, a series of statewide town hall meetings hosted by New Mexico First, and the work of the Regional Education Initiative and The Bridge.

The Bridge is uniquely positioned to launch a comprehensive, holistic approach to exploring the gaps and barriers in fulfilling mentoring roles, exploring best practices, and developing pilot programs that equip and deploy adults and youth to be mentors to the youth in their lives.  

The first three areas of initial focus include: