25 years ago, 4 school counselors were discussing their concerns around the high number of students that were dropping out of school. They wanted to develop a program that would positively impact the lives of students and help them achieve their full potential. Those 4 ladies applied for a grant, and school-based mentoring began in 17 schools in Canyon and Owyhee counties.
As we fast-forward through the years, that small program birthed into our nonprofit, The Mentoring Network. I don’t believe they could have begun to imagine the number of lives The Mentoring Network would reach!
I was reading messages from mentees over the years, one common word I noticed was change. You changed my life. You changed my attitude. You changed the way I see the world. You changed the way I see myself. Another common word was friend. You are my best friend. You are my only friend. I am happy to call you my friend. You are more than a friend, you are my family.
Over the years we have worked with 693 mentors. We have matched 844 children with a mentor. We currently serve 60 schools. Simple math would say we have impacted 1537 lives, but that is only where it begins! With every mentor/mentee match that is made families are impacted, classrooms are impacted, schools are impacted, it ripples out into the entire community.
If we reflect back on the original goal of increasing the number of graduates, I am proud to say, 99% of our kids that stay with a mentor, graduate high school. By creating a program that focused on healthy relationship building, attendance, grades, behaviors, and optimism, all improved. These children in high risk situations were suddenly making better decisions, asking for help, and showing care and concern for others.
When you consider all of this, how do we even begin to count the actual number of lives positively impacted? I don’t believe we can. It is truly amazing what we can accomplish in just 1 hour a week.
Thank you for being a part of The Mentoring Network, whether you have been with us along the 25 year journey, or if you are just joining us, we appreciate you. As we celebrate our 25th anniversary I would love to hear how The Mentoring Network has personally impacted you. You can send me an email, video, or we can set up a time to meet and visit HERE. I would love to hear your story!
— Marci Silva Board Chair
The Mentoring Network Inc.
www.MentoringNetworkID.org
One hour, once a week, transforms lives
