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[Pages S641-S642]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
SENATE RESOLUTION 485--RECOGNIZING JANUARY 2020 AS ``NATIONAL MENTORING
MONTH''
Mr. WHITEHOUSE (for himself, Mr. Blunt, Mr. Blumenthal, Mr. Booker,
Mr. Boozman, Mr. Braun, Mr. Brown, Mrs. Capito, Mr. Cornyn, Ms.
Duckworth, Mr. Durbin, Ms. Ernst, Mr. Hawley, Mr. Jones, Ms. Klobuchar,
Mr. Lankford, Mr. Markey, Mr. Murphy, Mr. Perdue, Mr. Peters, Mr. Reed,
Ms. Rosen, Mr. Sanders, Ms. Smith, Mr. Sullivan, Ms. Warren, Mr. Wyden,
Mr. Leahy, Mr. Van Hollen, and Mr. Barrasso) submitted the following
resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Health, Education,
Labor, and Pensions:
S. Res. 485
Whereas the goals of National Mentoring Month are to raise
awareness of mentoring, recruit individuals to mentor,
celebrate the powerful impact of caring adults who volunteer
time for the benefit of young people, and encourage
organizations to engage and integrate quality in mentoring
into the efforts of the organizations;
Whereas there are young people across the United States who
make everyday choices that lead to the big decisions in life
without the guidance and support on which many other young
people rely;
Whereas a mentor is a caring, consistent presence who
devotes time to a young person to help that young person
discover personal strength and achieve the potential of that
young person;
Whereas quality mentoring encourages positive life and
social skills, promotes self-esteem, bolsters academic
achievement and college access, supports career exploration,
and nurtures youth leadership development;
[[Page S642]]
Whereas mentoring happens in various settings, including
community-based programs, elementary and secondary schools,
colleges, government agencies, religious institutions, and
the workplace, and in various ways, including formal
mentoring matches and informal relationships with teachers,
coaches, neighbors, faith leaders, and others;
Whereas mentoring programs have been shown to be effective
in helping young people make positive choices;
Whereas studies have shown that incorporating culture and
heritage into mentoring programs can improve academic
outcomes and increases community engagement, especially for
Alaskan Native and American Indian youth;
Whereas young people who meet regularly with mentors are 46
percent less likely than peers to start using illegal drugs;
Whereas research shows that young people who were at risk
for not completing high school but who had a mentor were, as
compared with similarly situated young people without a
mentor--
(1) 55 percent more likely to be enrolled in college;
(2) 81 percent more likely to report participating
regularly in sports or extracurricular activities;
(3) more than twice as likely to say they held a leadership
position in a club or sports team; and
(4) 78 percent more likely to pay it forward by
volunteering regularly in the communities of young people;
Whereas students who are chronically absent are more likely
to fall behind academically, and mentoring can play a role in
helping young people attend school regularly, as research
shows that students who meet regularly with a mentor are, as
compared with the peers of those students--
(1) 52 percent less likely to skip a full day of school;
and
(2) 37 percent less likely to skip a class;
Whereas youth development experts agree that mentoring
encourages positive youth development and smart daily
behaviors, such as finishing homework and having healthy
social interactions, and has a positive impact on the growth
and success of a young person;
Whereas mentors help young people set career goals and use
the personal contacts of the mentors to help young people
meet industry professionals and train for and find jobs;
Whereas each of the benefits of mentors described in this
preamble serves to link youth to economic and social
opportunity while also strengthening communities in the
United States; and
Whereas, despite those described benefits, an estimated
9,000,000 young people in the United States feel isolated
from meaningful connections with adults outside the home,
constituting a ``mentoring gap'' that demonstrates a need for
collaboration and resources: Now, therefore, be it
Resolved, That the Senate--
(1) recognizes January 2020 as ``National Mentoring
Month'';
(2) recognizes the caring adults who serve as staff and
volunteers at quality mentoring programs and help the young
people of the United States find inner strength and reach
their full potential;
(3) acknowledges that mentoring is beneficial because
mentoring supports educational achievement and self-
confidence, supports young people in setting career goals and
expanding social capital, reduces juvenile delinquency,
improves positive personal, professional, and academic
outcomes, and strengthens communities;
(4) promotes the establishment and expansion of quality
mentoring programs across the United States to equip young
people with the tools needed to lead healthy and productive
lives; and
(5) supports initiatives to close the ``mentoring gap''
that exists for the many young people in the United States
who do not have meaningful connections with adults outside
the home.
____________________