Mass Mentoring is kicking off our 2nd Annual Back-to-School Mentor Recruitment Campaign. We will be organizing tables and booths at fairs and festivals in Boston during September and October. These events are attended by a diverse population of prospective mentors. If you're seeking mentors who are male, female, of color, or college students, these events are great opportunities to recruit for the back-to-school season!

 

Be on the lookout for notices on upcoming events and how to be a part of them. Confirmed events include the Cambridge Carnival, Northeastern and UMass Boston volunteer fairs, and CollegeFest, with many more opportunities in the wings. These events will be first come, first served opportunities. 

 

We will also run a transit advertising campaign to support mentor recruitment in September through ads on the MBTA Green line, Red line and Albany bus route.

 

For more information about MMP's Back-to-School Mentor Recruitment Campaign, contact Anesha Grant at agrant@massmentors.org.

  

As you know, Gov. Patrick included the Mentoring Matching Grants line item (7061-9634) at $250,000 in the FY12 budget, the highest it's been funded in two years. Because of this increase in funding, MMP was able to award almost twice the amount of state Mentoring Matching Grants than what was awarded the last two years. We are proud to announce the 19 recipients of the 2011-12 State Mentoring Matching Grants:

• Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Mass/Metrowest
• Big Brothers Big Sisters of Franklin County
• Big Brothers Big Sisters of Greater Lowell
• Big Brothers Big Sisters of Hampden County
• Big Brothers Big Sisters of Hampshire County
• Big Brothers Big Sisters of Massachusetts Bay
• Big Sister Association
• Catholic Charities - Laboure Center
• Family Service Association - Big Friends Little Friends Fall River
• Family Service, Inc. - Big Friends Little Friends Lawrence
• LUK Crisis Center
• John Andrew Mazie Memorial Foundation 
• Melrose Alliance Against Violence
• Morgan Memorial Goodwill Industries
• Partners for Youth with Disabilities
• Railroad Street Youth Project
• SMILES
• Strong Women Strong Girls
• The Dream Program

Don't forget to thank your legislators! Please visit our advocacy page for the list of legislators that fought for increased funding for mentoring. Send a thank-you note to anyone who represents a district that you serve.

 

We're also looking to expand our group of mentor advocates, mentors from across the state who help advocate for increased funding for mentoring programs and other policies that would benefit the field. Check out our advocacy page for how to recruit mentors for this important initiative.

  

Registration is now open for the Northeast Regional Mentoring Conference, to be held Oct. 13 and 14 at the Sheraton Framingham Hotel and Conference Center. The full listing of workshops has recently been added. Visit our event page for more information on the event, including how to get discounted hotel rooms. Register at this link:  www.NEMentoringConference.kintera.org/.

Anesha Grant is our new manager of mentor recruitment support. She joins us from New York City, where she worked on behalf of youth at both the Harlem Children's Zone and the Sacred Heart School. Anesha is your go-to contact for questions around mentor recruitment, and she can be reached at agrant@massmentors.org or 617.695.2439.

  

• We've relaunched our blog! Follow it via email subscription, Facebook, Twitter or LinkedIn. We welcome guest posts and topic suggestions too - contact Lauren Dean at ldean@massmentors.org to join the conversation.
• Comcast's Internet Essentials program provides low-cost internet access and computers for families with children receiving free school lunch. Learn more about the program.