Pictured: Teen Leaders in the HYPE program at City of Mesa Parks, Recreation and Community Facilities participate in an exercise to overcome obstacles. Photo courtesy of Blythe Brown. 

Did you know that 74 percent of adults who were mentored as youth say their mentor contributed significantly to their success in life? Now, consider that more than 1 in 3 young people in America are growing up without a mentor.

Fortunately, park and recreation professionals are addressing this gap by bringing more mentoring opportunities to youth across the country. And, NRPA is supporting these professionals and their agencies in their efforts to build effective and evidence-based mentoring programs that connect youth with caring and compassionate mentors, while strengthening connections across community. 

On today’s episode, in celebration of National Mentoring Month, we chatted with six youth mentees and six of their mentors in Mesa, Arizona; Huntsville, Alabama; and Monroe County, Michigan, to learn more about the impact of these programs.

Tune in to the full episode to learn how each program is meeting the unique needs of youth, providing safe spaces filled with opportunities, and helping youth build meaningful connections with their peers and adults. You’ll hear from:

• Chris Daniels, a mentor for City of Huntsville Parks and Recreation Department’s Male Mentorship program
• Carter Williams, a youth participant in City of Huntsville Parks and Recreation Department’s Male Mentorship program
• Blythe Brown, recreation assistant, Oscar Venegas, recreation supervisor, and Raynetta Brown, recreation coordinator for City of Mesa Parks, Recreation and Community Facilities
• Eilleen Johnson, Adyson Thompson and Rebekkah Evans, teen leaders for City of Mesa’s HYPE (Helping Youth Produce Excellence) program
• Jason Allen, ACC special projects director, and Maya Falls, ACC peer youth worker, from the Monroe County Opportunity Program
• Ava Long and Emery Amison, youth participants in the Monroe County Opportunity Program

You’ll also hear tips for starting a mentoring program at your agency and the benefits of simply incorporating a mentoring mindset into your existing programs. And, be sure to check out NRPA’s suite of mentoring resources below to help you along the way.

Related Links:

• Mentoring in Parks and Rec
• NRPA’s Mentoring Resources
• Grant Opportunity: Out-of-School Time (OST) Youth Mentoring Program Grant
• Slideshow: City of Mesa HYPE Program
• City of Huntsville Parks and Recreation Department’s Male Mentorship Program
• Monroe County Opportunity Program
• Thank Your Mentor Day: Stories of Impact from STRONGkids
• Mentoring.org

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If you enjoyed this episode or learned something that might help you make a positive impact in your community, please consider donating to NRPA. Your gift will support our storytelling efforts and our mission to advance parks, recreation and environmental resilience efforts that enhance the quality of life for all at nrpa.org/donate.