A mentor can have a powerful, lasting impact on a child and on the community. At-risk students who have mentors are 55 percent more likely to enroll in college, and 78 percent are more likely to volunteer regularly in their communities, according to MENTOR: The National Mentoring Partnership.
It's time for more companies in the Tampa Bay area to make a difference by providing their employees with opportunities to mentor students.
Setting up a mentoring program doesn't have to take a lot of a company's time. As an example, Big Brothers Big Sisters of Tampa Bay has started its "School-to-Work" program, pairing high school "Littles" with mentors, or "Bigs," at companies for one-on-one mentoring.
Last spring, Nielsen launched the program in Hillsborough County. In September, USAmeriBank initiated the program in Pinellas County, and now, St. Pete-Clearwater International Airport has also begun a School-to-Work program.
In the USAmeriBank program, 25 students from Northeast High School come to the bank's operations center in Clearwater once a month for seminars on postgraduation skills and one-on-one mentoring.
Tiffany Colucci, director of branch operations at USAmeriBank, knows firsthand the impact mentoring can have on a student because she was once a Little herself. As a child, her Big helped her with reading, and that helped build her confidence. She credits the experience with changing her life, and now she can do the same as a mentor.
Another example of the program's success is Nielsen's Alexandra Kistler, who has seen her Little's pride and confidence grow. Kistler is excited to see the positive change in the way her Little talks about her future.
School-to-Work is unique in that it brings students to the workplace, but employers can use resources like www.mentor.gov to help connect their employees to a number of mentoring opportunities. This includes opportunities like YMCA Reads!, United Way's Reading Pals and programs through the Boys & Girls Clubs of Tampa Bay. The Boys & Girls Club, for example, has opportunities to volunteer on field trips, as mentors and as part of other special programs for children.
As you think about starting a mentoring program at your workplace, there are other benefits to consider. For example:
• It only takes a few hours a month to make a significant impact. Each month the Littles at USAmeriBank learn about resume writing, job interviewing, college preparation and vocational training, and spend one-on-one time with their Bigs to focus on individual support, guidance and friendship.
• Workplace mentoring also benefits your employees. When companies provide their employees with time and resources to be mentors, it helps employee morale and retention, and contributes to a positive work culture.
• Community involvement helps attract talent to your company. Job seekers — in particular, millennials — often look to work for companies that give their employees opportunities to give back, and starting a mentoring program at your workplace is a meaningful way to demonstrate your commitment to the community.
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Explore all your optionsPrograms like School-to-Work aim to empower students by growing their confidence and motivating them to do better in school. By supporting students through mentoring, you're making an investment not only in their futures, but also in the future of your community.
Learn more about Big Brothers Big Sisters of Tampa Bay by visiting www.bbbstampabay.org, or explore other opportunities to mentor by visiting www.mentor.gov.
Joseph V. Chillura is president and CEO of USAmeriBank.