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 Spotlight on Mentoring
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An Interview with Dr. Michael Karcher
 Mentor Michigan was lucky enough to host Dr. Michael Karcher from the University of Texas at San Antonio as the keynote speaker at the 5th Annual Michigan's Premier Mentoring Conference this past November in East Lansing.
Dr. Karcher, a prominent researcher in the mentoring field, shared his insights on peer and school-based mentoring with a crowd of more than 200 Michigan mentoring professionals. Following his speech, Dr. Karcher sat down with Mentor Michigan for an in-depth interview on a variety of topics; including how he got involved in the field, why on-going and ground-breaking research is so critical to the field's success, and whether he thinks mentoring really makes a difference in young people's lives.
We invite you to view his full-length video online by visiting here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XmhgdfnQbac. His thoughts are particularly insightful if you were unable to attend this year's conference.
Additional resources related to Dr. Karcher's work and recent visit to Michigan may be found online at www.mentormichigan.org.
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2011 Michigan Mentoring Month - Pass It On
 The annual Michigan Mentoring Month - held every January - is just days away, and with it the opportunity to recognize the impact of volunteer mentors, recruit additional individuals to serve, and celebrate the efforts of mentoring matches across the state. What are you doing to "Pass It On" this year?
A good option is to spread the word about mentoring in your community via your local media outlets. As part of Mentor Michigan's online Mentoring Month Toolkit, check out our template op-eds and media advisories. All you have to do is fill in the necessary blanks and disperse to your local newspaper, television stations, and/or radio stations. This annual opportunity is also celebrated on the national level so the ability to leverage media coverage will be that much greater - so take advantage of it!
Help us spread the word about the impact of mentoring in Michigan. For additional 2011 Michigan Mentoring Month resources, visit www.mentormichigan.org to view the rest of our Toolkit. And stay tuned all January-long for promotional and informational items coming out of our office related to Michigan Mentoring Month - including a recap at the end of the month documenting the successes of programs located across the state!
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"Mentoring Night at the Palace" Scheduled for January 22
 Mentor Michigan is excited to join the Detroit Pistons on Saturday, January 22 at the Palace at Auburn Hills to celebrate mentoring. The first-ever "Mentoring Night at the Palace" will include the Pistons taking on the Phoenix Suns at 7:30 p.m. with a special emphasis placed on mentoring throughout the evening.
Tickets are still available for purchase at a discounted rate. For every ticket sold online at http://www.nba.com/pistons/tickets/mentor_michigan.html, Mentor Michigan will receive $5. The money raised will be distributed through a statewide funding opportunity at a later date in the form of Detroit Pistons mini-grants.
This could be a wonderful match activity to celebrate the 2011 Michigan Mentoring Month or perhaps you could purchase tickets to give as gifts or prizes at family or staff functions. For more information, visit www.mentormichigan.org.
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2011 Lloyd Carr MVP Mentoring Award Recipients Announced in January
 Mentor Michigan will award five individual youth mentees with 2011 Lloyd Carr MVP Mentoring Awards next month for best exemplifying the benefits of a mentoring relationship. The awards will be given in conjunction with the annual Michigan Mentoring Month. Awardees will have exhibited benefits such as improved attitude, attendance, grades, pro-social behaviors, and family and peer relationships - all as a result of their formal mentoring relationship. All of the recipients will receive a $1,000 scholarship to attend college after high school graduation.
Last year's recipients have benefitted greatly from the recognition and award, with three of the young people using their scholarship to attend Northern Michigan University, Lansing Community College, and the U.S. Truck Driving School. To read about last year's winners, visit http://www.michigan.gov/mentormichigan/0,1607,7-193-27049-230251--,00.html.
Stay tuned to www.mentormichigan.org this January for the announcement of the 2011 Lloyd Carr MVP Mentoring Award recipients.
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Building a Grad Nation - Report Looks to Address Dropout Issue
Mentoring programs across the country and the state are looking closer and closer at the impact mentoring can have on the dropout issue affecting communities everywhere. Initiatives and large-scale media efforts - including those surrounding Waiting for Superman - are providing more and more information about the steps that need to be taken to assist the country's young people in understanding the value of obtaining a diploma.
A recent report released by America's Promise Alliance, Civic Enterprise, and the Everyone Graduates Center at Johns Hopkins University, titled Building a Grad Nation: Progress and Challenge in Ending the High School Dropout Epidemic, looks to explain how we can end the dropout epidemic - even in schools from lower-income, urban, and rural districts.
Highlights of the report, which can be found at http://www.americaspromise.org/Our-Work/Grad-Nation/Building-a-Grad-Nation.aspx, include the fact that more than half of all states (29 in total) increased their statewide graduation rate from 2002 to 2008 and that most of the decline in schools with high dropout rates occurred in the South.
Mentor Michigan encourages you to check out the full report to better understand how mentoring programs can provide assistance in putting young people on the path to success.
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Local & National Opportunities | |
January 2011
10th Annual Michigan/National Mentoring Month
Statewide and Nationwide
For more information, visit www.mentormichigan.org.
January 6, 2011
Men in Mentoring Toolkit
Online webinar provided by Mentor Michigan
To register, visit https://www2.gotomeeting.com/register/565165739.
January 11, 2011
Building a Successful Mentoring Program: Definition and Recruitment Plan
Online webinar provided by Mentor Michigan
To register, visit https://www2.gotomeeting.com/register/186881330.
January 13, 2011
Building a Successful Mentoring Program: Definition and Recruitment Plan
Online webinar provided by Mentor Michigan
To register, visit https://www2.gotomeeting.com/register/795198027.
January 14, 2011
Resources for New Mentoring Programs & New Staff Members
Online webinar provided by Mentor Michigan
To register, visit https://www2.gotomeeting.com/register/894624402.
January 17, 2011
Martin Luther King, Jr. National Day of Service
Statewide and Nationwide
For more information, visit www.mlkday.gov.
January 18, 2011
Men in Mentoring Toolkit
Online webinar provided by Mentor Michigan
To register, visit https://www2.gotomeeting.com/register/870578602.
January 22, 2011
Mentoring Night at the Palace
The Palace of Auburn Hills - Michigan
More information is available at www.mentormichigan.org.
January 25, 2011
National Mentoring Summit
Washington, D.C.
For more information, click here.
January 25, 2011
Thank Your Mentor Day
Statewide and Nationwide
For more information, visit www.mentormichigan.org.
January 31, 2011
Lloyd Carr MVP Mentoring Awards Event
Ann Arbor, Michigan
For more information, visit www.mentormichigan.org.
February 16, 2011
Building a Successful Mentoring Program: Orientation and Training
Online webinar provided by Mentor Michigan
To register, visit https://www2.gotomeeting.com/register/253893363.
February 18, 2011
Building a Successful Mentoring Program: Orientation and Training
Online webinar provided by Mentor Michigan
To register, visit https://www2.gotomeeting.com/register/721534419.
February 23, 2011
Resources for New Mentoring Programs & New Staff Members
Online webinar provided by Mentor Michigan
To register, visit https://www2.gotomeeting.com/register/638377715.
March 7, 2011
Building a Successful Mentoring Program: Matching Strategy and Monitoring Matches
Online webinar provided by Mentor Michigan
To register, visit https://www2.gotomeeting.com/register/141498530.
March 9, 2011
Building a Successful Mentoring Program: Matching Strategy and Monitoring Matches
Online webinar provided by Mentor Michigan
To register, visit https://www2.gotomeeting.com/register/301302675.
For more local opportunities, click here.
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Funding Opportunities
Check out the latest funding opportunities available to mentoring organizations:
Gannett Foundation Community Action Grants
The Gannett Foundation supports local organizations in communities served by Gannett Co., Inc (in Michigan: Battle Creek, Detroit, Grand Rapids, Howell, Lansing, and Port Huron). Community Action Grant priorities include education and neighborhood improvement, economic development, youth development, community problem-solving, assistance to disadvantaged people, environmental conservation, and cultural enrichment. Proposals should be submitted to the contact at the daily newspaper or television station in your area by February 16, 2011.
Deadline: February 16, 2011
Amount: Average grant amount $1,000 - $5,000
Contact: www.gannettfoundation.org/guidelines.htm
Facebook
To keep up to date with the latest Mentor Michigan and mentoring news, find Mentor Michigan on Facebook. Just visit www.facebook.com/mentormichigan and join other individuals currently following our efforts.
Twitter
For an additional way to stay up to date with the latest Mentor Michigan and mentoring news and information, follow us on Twitter! Search for @MentorMI and read our messages for the mentoring community.
Michigan National Service Directory
Michigan's National Service Directory is a new tool designed to assist national service program staff and members to quickly identify the different groups and organizations in their area that have a similar programmatic focus for the purpose of establishing collaborative partnerships.The Directory may also be used to connect interested individuals with respective national service programs in their area and assist programs in member recruitment. Click here to find local AmeriCorps, Learn and Serve, and/or Senior Corps programs.
Service
Being a mentor is one of the most important things you can do for a child. If you're interested in gaining more information on becoming a mentor or looking for a local mentoring program, visit the Mentor Michigan website to utilize the mentoring program directory. Mentoring programs can be located by ZIP code. For more information, click here.
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About Mentor Michigan
One hour a week can make a big difference in a young person's future. Mentor Michigan supports nearly 250 organizations around the state that are changing lives by matching mentors with young people. Mentor Michigan provides those organizations with training and research. It fosters partnerships with businesses, faith-based and nonprofit organizations, schools, colleges and universities, and state and local government to support mentoring. Mentor Michigan also builds public awareness about the importance of and the need for mentors by urging caring adults to "Pass It On," because sharing a little of yourself with a young person can reward both of you with lifelong benefits.
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