January is National Mentoring Month

The Mayor’s Mentoring to the Max initiative is entering its third year with the goal of providing positive role models for Tulsa’s youth. Mentoring to the Max is an outgrowth of the 2006 “Building A Safer Tulsa Gang Summit,” which focused on real solutions to end gang violence.

The Mayor's Office and Mentoring to the Max partners have worked hard these past few years to bring awareness to Tulsans about the great need for mentors in our community. To date, the Mentoring to the Max program has signed up nearly 400 new mentors.

As 2009 unfolds, there are still many children who are in need of a nudge in the right direction. Research shows that the drop-out rates for Tulsa area schools are higher than surrounding districts. Mentoring has been proven to reduce crime, help kids miss fewer days of school and improve their grades.

There are various ways you can mentor and make a difference in a child’s life. The Mayor’s mentoring program will pair you with a child whose interests are similar to your own. Mentors come from everywhere. Mentoring can take place in one of our local schools or during out-of-school time through one of more than 40 mentoring programs in the city.

If you are interested in volunteering one hour a week of mentoring, call the 2-1-1 Helpline today, or visit www.mentoringtulsa.org to sign up. Be a friend to a child and bring out the “best” in them. Just one hour a week…can change a life forever.