Press Release: iMentor Calls on New Yorkers to Become Mentors - 1,000 Mentors Needed by September 2011
iMentor, a leading youth mentoring program in New York City, is actively recruiting 1,000 professionals to become mentors by September 1
New York, June 29, 2011 — iMentor, a leading youth mentoring program in New York City, is actively recruiting 1,000 professionals to become mentors by September 1. iMentor will match these supportive adults with students from underserved communities to create multi-year mentoring relationships that leverage iMentor’s unique online and in-person curriculum to help the students graduate college-ready and succeed in college. One of the most innovative and fastest growing non-profits in the country today, iMentor is impacting the lives of thousands of New York City youth while also providing busy professionals with a rewarding and fun volunteer experience.
The additional 1,000 volunteers will allow iMentor to provide valuable services to students at iMentor partner high schools located in the Bronx, Brooklyn, Manhattan, and Queens. As an essential part of its model, iMentor enrolls entire schools in its mentoring program to foster peer support, enhance existing services in the school and build engaged communities. iMentor will partner with more than 15 schools in the 2011-12 school year and serve more than 2,400 high school students in New York City, creating a renewed need for enthusiastic, committed professionals to partner with eager students.
Fitting the schedule of the busiest professionals, iMentor’s evidence-based model encourages pairs to communicate through a flexible combination of weekly emails and group events organized monthly. iMentor’s community of mentors is representative of New York City itself, including people from a vast array of demographics, occupations, industries, and experience levels.
“We look forward to expanding our network of mentors, who come from all walks of professional and personal life who share a strong desire to help guide and mentor underserved youth hungry for new experiences and skills,” said Mike O’Brien, CEO of iMentor. “We use mentoring to bridge diverse communities together to achieve inspiring and tangible results.”
iMentor leverages this diversity by matching mentors and mentees according to shared personal, academic, and career interests. This innovative approach, facilitated by a pioneering matching algorithm that iMentor has developed, enables mentors to call upon their unique set of personal experiences and professional skills to positively impact mentees’ lives.
iMentor’s volunteers describe the program as transformative for the students as well as themselves. Kel Huang, a financial analyst and long-time iMentor mentor said, "When I started working in New York, I wanted to find a way to remain active in community service. I chose to volunteer through iMentor because the program is both flexible and engaging.” Huang is in the second year of his match with Renzo Vasquez, a bright and gregarious 10th grader who attends the Urban Assembly School for Careers in Sports in the South Bronx. “Interacting with Renzo and his classmates has made me more aware of the challenges facing high school students in our local communities and how I can help. Through the program, I’ve witnessed firsthand Renzo's growth and development -- academically, socially and professionally."
Mentors consistently report that mentoring and the training that iMentor provides has helped them develop their own leadership and communication skills. Many say they are happier at work since joining iMentor. And despite 70 percent of iMentor’s volunteers being first-time mentors, 92 percent would recommend the experience to a friend.
Since iMentor's founding in 1999, more than 10,000 professionals have been matched with mentees from underserved communities throughout New York City. More than 80 percent of iMentor’s mentees qualify for free or reduced school lunch, and only 10 percent of their parents have graduated from college. The results have been impressive – iMentor mentees are more likely to graduate high school and enroll in college than New York City averages. Research shows that these achievements are the single most effective way to break the cycle of poverty for a young person.
Join an unparalleled network of thousands of local professionals dedicated to making a difference in the lives of youth in New York City. Spread the call to action amongst your social network. Become a mentor today at www.iMentor.org.
About iMentor
iMentor, a leading mentoring organization based in New York City, has developed an innovative and highly effective mentoring model. Each year, iMentor pairs thousands of high school students from underserved communities in NYC in multi-year, one-to-one matches with college-educated mentors. Founded in 1999, iMentor is focused on ensuring more students graduate high school college-ready and succeed in college. Get involved atwww.iMentor.org.
