Last week, we wrote to share some updates on the work our task force had been doing (10-26-11 Meeting Notes pdf). We are writing today to share with you our proposed model (pdf). We see this as a workable, collaborative model for a state mentoring organization.  Please realize it is not a concrete, finished product, but an idea cohesive enough to envision as a reality.

This outline will be followed up soon with an online survey to collect your thoughts about the proposal.  If you have any immediate questions, please feel free to contact a member of the planning team.  Our contact information is below.

Yours,

Amy Cunningham
Everybody Wins! Vermont amy@ewvt.org
Kristen Hayden-West
Community Friends Mentoring  kristenhw@howardcenter.org
Peter Ingvolstad
Lamoille Valley Mentoring Partnership pingvoldstad@lamoillecourtdiversion.org
Mike Loner
DREAM Mentoring  mloner@dreamprogram.org
Rebecca Majoya
Mentor Connector rebecca@mentorconnector.com
Betsy Rathbun-Gunn
Big Brothers Big Sisters of Bennington County  brgunn@ucsvt.org
Robert Szpila
Big Brothers Big Sisters Brattleboro and Windham Counties robert.szpila@youthservicesinc.org
Gabriella Tufo Strouse
King St. Center Jr/Sr Buddies gabe@kingstreetyouth.org

David Shapiro to lead mentoring movement nationally as CEO of MENTOR

David Shapiro, president and CEO of Mass Mentoring Partnership (MMP), will leave his position at the end of the year to become the CEO of MENTOR, the National Mentoring Partnership. MENTOR works to promote and expand quality mentoring in collaboration with state mentoring partnerships such as MMP and mentoring programs around the country. Over the next year, MENTOR will also move its headquarters to Boston.

Shapiro, who has lead MMP since 2004, says, “It has been an honor to work in partnership with so many mentoring programs, businesses, community organizations, foundations, government leaders and other supporters of mentoring. I have learned so much and been inspired by the tireless work being done to make a difference in the lives of youth here in Massachusetts.”

During Shapiro’s tenure, MMP opened a Western Massachusetts office and launched initiatives including:

• Champions of Mentoring at Fenway Park
• Highland Street AmeriCorps Ambassadors of Mentoring
• Red Sox Mentoring Challenge
• Quality-Based Membership
• Mass Mentoring Counts, and the
• Bill Russell Mentoring Grants Program.

MMP has grown by 400%, protected and increased state funding for mentoring, collaborated to attract federal funding, and now annually distributes more than $300,000 in grants to the field and $250,000 in mentor-mentee activities and scholarships for mentees.

MMP’s work with high quality mentoring programs driving impact in critical societal issues from youth violence prevention to academic achievement to workforce development has contributed to the almost 50% increase in the number of young people matched in quality mentoring relationships during Shapiro’s tenure.

Regina M. Pisa, MMP’s board chair and chairman and managing partner of the law firm of Goodwin Procter says, “We are extremely grateful for the work David has done to build Mass Mentoring into a powerful force for quality youth mentoring in Massachusetts. We wish him great success in leading the mentoring movement nationally and strengthening the resources for all mentoring programs. We will launch a search for a dynamic leader to guide the next chapter in Mass Mentoring’s history.”

On Thursday, March 31, The Waterbury Record published an article on the successes of the Everybody Wins! VT mentoring program at Thatcher Brook Primary School in Waterbury. The Thatcher Brook program, although only in its second year of operation, already houses nearly 30 mentors who volunteer time each week to read and engage in other one-on-one activities with children at the school.

To read the full article, click here…

March 10, 2011.  Watch WPTZ Channel 5, News at 6!  Tom Messner and the Channel 5 weather crew will be broadcasting live with a local mentoring pair tonight from ECHO Aquarium/Leahy Science Center.

On January 4^th, Kristin Carlson discussed youth mentoring with Mobius E.D. Andrea Torello and Spectrum mentor/Mobius board member Bill West on “The :30!”  CLICK HERE to watch the interview from the WCAX website!