Angels Camp, CA…January 2017 marks the 16th annual National Mentoring Month, a campaign aimed at expanding quality mentoring programs and connecting more of our community’s young people with caring adults.

Here in Calaveras County, the Calaveras County Office of Education currently administers three youth mentoring programs: Calaveras Youth Mentoring Program, FNL Mentoring, and SWAG Young Adult Mentoring. Both the Calaveras County Board of Education and the Board of Supervisors annually recognize National Mentoring Month and express their gratitude for our community’s volunteer mentors.

The National Mentoring Month theme this January marks the second year of the public awareness and recruitment campaign, In Real Life. In Real Life focuses on the real life benefits of mentoring to young people, as well as real life benefits to mentors themselves.

“Nationally, nine million kids in America grow up without a mentor to offer real life guidance,” said Kathryn Eustis, director of Student Support Services at the Calaveras County Office of Education, which administers the Calaveras Youth Mentoring Program. “Here in Calaveras, we have 17 students waiting for mentors right now. That may not sound like a lot compared to the national numbers, but for us, it’s 17 kids too many.”

The Calaveras Youth Mentoring Program is a “Best Practices” programs that connects local youth with safe, positive mentors who offer friendship, opportunity, and support for making healthy life decisions. Volunteer mentors commit to spend a few hours every week with their mentee for one year having fun and building a friendship. Ongoing rigorous program evaluation indicates that students with mentors in our community improve their self-esteem, their ability to build trusting relationships with adults (in addition to their mentor,) and their outlook on their own futures.

The Calaveras County Office of Education also administers the FNL Mentoring Program and SWAG (Students With A Goal) Young Adult Mentoring Program. FNL Mentoring matches 7th and 8th grade protégés from Toyon, Mark Twain, and Avery Middle Schools with 10th-12th grade mentors from Calaveras and Bret Harte High Schools. SWAG Young Adult Mentoring is for foster youth who are 16-21 years old. SWAG mentors support young adults in developing important skills like how to buy a car or apply for a job.
For more information mentoring programs and opportunities in Calaveras County, the public may call (209) 736-6078 or visit www.calaverasmentoring.org.