All children need the kind of love and attention that only a caring adult can give. Mentoring can help youth as they go through challenging life transitions. Close, healthly, supportive, relationships between mentors and mentees that last for a significant portion of time are central to success. 

Benefits for youth: 

• Increased graduation rates
• Lower high school dropout rates
• Healthier relationships and lifestyle choices 
• Improved interpersonal skills

Benefits for mentors: 

• Increased self-esteem
• A sense of accomplishment
• Creation of networks of volunteers
• Insight into childhood, adolescence, and young adulthood
• Increase patience and improved supervisory skills

In addition, while volunteers agree to a one year commitment, the average length of a match is over 3 years.  In fact, many of the relationships continue into the children’s adult lives.

National research reveals that one-to-one mentoring relationships help children reach their highest social and academic potentials.  Children are more likely to show positive behaviors in school and at home than those that are not matched with a mentor. By being a consistent adult presence in a young person's life mentors can offer advice, share life experiences, and help a young person navigate challenges. Mentored youth tend to trust their parents more and communicate better with them.

According to the Iowa Mentoring Partnership website: 

• Students who meet regularly with their mentors are 52% less likely than their peers to skip a day of school. 
• Youth are 46% less likely than their peers to start using illegal drugs and 27% less likely to start drinking. 
• Youth are 81% more likely to participate regularly in sports or extracurricular activities. 
• Mentors can prepare their mentees for professional careers.

Mentor Clinton County is reaching out to members of Clinton County IA and Fulton, IL to volunteer as mentors. Adult volunteers are needed to provide friendship and mentoring services to area children currently on our waiting list.  No special training or education required.  We provide all the training you need. If you can be a friend to a child, you can be a mentor.  

Learn more about the programs we offer, by clicking on them on the right side!

Can you help improve our area youth's chances at a happy, healthy childhood?   Volunteers are needed now. 

Contact us for more information.