IV 

113TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. RES. 462 

Recognizing January as ‘‘National Mentoring Month’’ and encouraging more 

people in the United States to mentor young people in their communities. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

JANUARY 16, 2014 

Ms. WILSON of Florida (for herself, Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN, Mr. GRIJALVA, Mr. 

LANGEVIN, Mr. HINOJOSA, Mr. FATTAH, Mr. HOLT, Ms. MCCOLLUM, 

Mrs. DAVIS of California, Mr. POLIS, Mr. SCHIFF, Mr. ANDREWS, Ms. 

JACKSON LEE, Ms. BASS, Mr. CONYERS, Ms. NORTON, Mr. CARSON of 

Indiana, and Ms. CASTOR of Florida) submitted the following resolution; 

which was referred to the Committee on Education and the Workforce 

RESOLUTION 

Recognizing January as ‘‘National Mentoring Month’’ and 

encouraging more people in the United States to mentor 

young people in their communities. 

Whereas in 2002, the Harvard School of Public Health and 

MENTOR: The National Mentoring Partnership created 

‘‘National Mentoring Month’’; 

Whereas the goals of National Mentoring Month are to raise 

awareness of mentoring, recruit individuals to mentor, 

and encourage organizations to engage and integrate 

mentoring into their efforts; 

Whereas a mentor is a caring, consistent presence who devotes time to a young person to help that young person 


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discover personal strength and achieve their potential 

through a structured and trusting relationship; 

Whereas quality mentoring encourages positive choices, promotes self-esteem, supports academic achievement, and 

introduces young people to new ideas; 

Whereas mentoring programs have shown to be effective in 

combating school violence, discipline problems, substance 

abuse, incarceration, and truancy; 

Whereas research shows that youth who participate in mentoring relationships experience a multitude of positive 

benefits including being more engaged in school, finishing 

high school, and continuing on to college; 

Whereas youth are 5 times more likely to graduate if they 

have a meaningful relationship with an adult; 

Whereas research shows that young people who are matched 

with a caring adult through a quality mentoring program 

are 46 percent less likely to use illegal drugs, 27 percent 

less likely to start drinking, 52 percent less likely to skip 

school, and 37 percent less likely to skip class, and are 

more trusting of their parents or guardians; 

Whereas youth development experts agree that mentoring is 

critical to the social, emotional, and cognitive development of youth, helping them navigate the path to adulthood more successfully; 

Whereas mentors help young people set career goals and use 

their personal contacts to help young people meet industry professionals and find jobs; 

Whereas mentoring is a proven cost-effective investment, for 

every $1 invested in mentoring, there is a $3 return to 

society; 


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Whereas despite these benefits, there is a ‘‘mentoring gap’’, 

a gap between the availability of mentoring programs and 

the number of young people in need of a mentor; and 

Whereas according to new research released this month, 1 in 

3 young adults say they did not have an adult mentor in 

their lives while they were growing up: Now, therefore, be 

it 

1 Resolved, That the House of Representatives— 

2 (1) recognizes ‘‘National Mentoring Month’’; 

3 (2) recognizes the men and women who serve as 

4 staff and volunteers at quality mentoring programs 

5 and help our young people find inner strength and 

6 reach their full potential; 

7 (3) acknowledges that mentoring is beneficial 

8 because it encourages educational achievement, re9 duces juvenile delinquency, and improves life out10 comes; 

11 (4) promotes the creation and expansion of 

12 quality mentoring programs across the United 

13 States to equip young people with the tools needed 

14 to lead healthy and productive lives; and 

15 (5) supports initiatives to close the ‘‘mentoring 

16 gap’’. 

Æ 


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