January is National Mentoring Month - Thank You, MEF mentors!

Chicago — In honor of Thank Your Mentor Day during National Mentoring Month, we would like to take this opportunity to recognize some key difference-makers -- the mentors of Midtown Center for boys and Metro Achievement Center for girls.

At Midtown and Metro, over 300 volunteer tutors and mentors dedicate weekly mentorship to at-risk youth from over 100 different schools across Chicago. Uniquely paired with the same child over the course of the year, each mentor serves as a guide and role model, imparting life lessons, career exposure, and hope for the future. 

The National Mentoring Partnership commissioned the first of its kind national report called The Mentoring Effect. According to the report, "The survey shows that one in three young people will reach adulthood without connecting with a mentor of any kind...This finding suggests a systemic shift to leverage quality mentoring programs to introduce mentors to young people who face a greater number of risk factors is a powerful and necessary strategy." 

Our very own Executive Director Glenn Wilke serves on the steering committee of the local chapter, the Illinois Mentoring Partnership.  This year, MEF celebrates 100% high school graduation and 100% college enrollment for the last 14 consecutive years. Moreover, out of 900 MEF alumni surveyed, 91% are still in college or are college graduates.

Thank you, Midtown and Metro mentors!