The Henry County Mentoring program is funded through a state Prevention through Mentoring grant with the Iowa Department of Public Health (IDPH). Each year the HCMP applies for renewed funding with the IDPH. We just received an announcement that the HCMP was renewed funding for the 2010-2011 school year!

Due to a challenging financial year in Iowa, the funding was reduced to an annual budget $47,000.

 

To ensure that our mentoring program remains strong and sustainable for years to come, the staff of ISU Henry County Extension remain focused on securing additional grant funding. The program staff is currently preparing a mentoring proposal to enhance our current program with an opportunity for funding through the federal Office of Juvenile Justice Delinquency and Prevention (OJJDP). The proposal for this federal funding involves the creation of monthly structured activities for our mentoring matches focused on career-paths and job skills. The monthly activities will be free of charge for all participating mentoring matches and will take place around Henry County and neighboring communities. The monthly activities will include guest speakers, hands-on activities, touring of businesses and learning about how to have careers in 12 areas. The areas of focus are:

Arts, Animation, Technology, Healthcare, Environment, Agriculture, Sports, Law Enforcement, Mechanical, Culinary, Music, and Entrepreneurship.

 

In the 2009 Mentor Survey, mentors stated they wanted ideas for more activities and 74% said they wanted to meet more mentoring matches. This project enables us to do all of those things! Mentoring matches will be able to participate in the monthly activities as part of your monthly outings target. Scholarships will be provided to mentors who want to encourage an interest and career goal of the mentee.

 

Thank you Healthy Henry County Communities, School to Career Consortium, Southeastern Community College, and the Iowa Workforce Development for your assistance in preparing this grant proposal.

 

We will let you in September 2010 if the funding is approved. In the meantime, we continue to look for funding sources to continue this important program.