September Back to School Banner



Join Us! Mentoring Matters: Positive Relationships & Brain Development

When: Sept 11th, 5:30-7pm
Where: Science Museum of Virginia, Thalhimer Theater
Cost: Free

The first of VMP's Mentoring Matters series, this event will feature UVA professor and psychologist, Dr. Kristen Jamison, who will speak on the impact of positive relationships on brain development. This event will provide an opportunity for mentors, program staff, and members of the community who care about positive youth development to connect with each other and learn. 

September is Attendance Awareness Month!
Chronic absence, or missing 2 or 3 days of school per month, can seriously jeopardize the academic achievement of students as measured by test scores and dropout rates.  
How can we help? We know that a mentoring relationship can help improve academic achievement and reduce dropout rates. In a school-based mentoring program, students often look forward to their regular meetings with a mentor at school.
Learn more about chronic absence and taking action from Attendance Works.  



Funding Opportunity for Anti-bullying Programs

The Stand Up Foundation, the charitable foundation of rugby star Ben Cohen, works to stop bullying and raise awareness of its harmful effects. Nonprofit organizations with programs designed to stop bullying and/or increasing equality and diversity in sports are invited to apply for grants up to $10,000. Visit Stand Up Foundation for more information.
 

Back to School!


The start of a new school year is an exciting time for most young people--meeting new teachers, reconnecting with friends, tackling new subjects in school. But for some kids, going back to school is challenging, or even scary. This is a time when they need mentors most.

Research shows that students who meet regularly with a mentor are less likely to skip school and have better attendance records. VMP is here to help mentors and mentoring programs ensure that every child has a positive, successful experience in school and beyond. Here's to a great year!

-VMP Staff


Amazing Raise  Amazing Raise


 

The Amazing Raise is just two weeks away, so save the date! Virginia Mentoring Partnership will be participating in the Amazing Raise Wednesday and Thursday September 17th and 18th. The Amazing Raise is a 36-hour online giving challenge that inspires and empowers our community to support nonprofit organizations in Richmond.

 

When you support Virginia Mentoring Partnership during the Amazing Raise, you also give VMP a chance to win additional prizes ranging from $500 to $15,000. Please consider donating to VMP through the Amazing Raise, and stay tuned for more details. Every dollar counts. Thank you for your support!

 



AmeriCorps VISTA


 

At the end of August, VMP bid farewell to our second cohort of AmeriCorps VISTA members. We thank them all for their commitment to service and building the capacity for mentoring across the state, and we wish them well in their exciting academic and professional endeavors!

We are also excited to welcome members of the third cohort. These 20 VISTAs will be serving mentoring programs across the state, including two VISTAs in the VMP office, Long Nguyen and Vanessa Reyes. Visit our website to meet the new VISTA members and host sites.


Upcoming Trainings

For Program Staff:

9/17: Fundraising and Grant-Writing for Mentoring Programs, 

register here

10/22: Is My Program Making an Impact? Evaluation Demystified, register here

11/5: Supporting Mentors to Create Longer and Stronger Matches, register here

11/19: Building Blocks for Mentoring Programs, 

register here

 

For New Mentors:
9/15: New Mentor Training: Mentoring 101

For Current Mentors:
9/29: Mentoring Across Lines of Difference, led by Virginia Center for Inclusive Communities
10/28: The Impact of Health Disparities on Youth, led by VCU Center on Health Disparities

For more information on any of these trainings, visit our website. 
To request training for your mentoring program, contact Long Nguyen.

 Stay connected! Follow VMP on Facebook and Twitter.

Virginia Mentoring Partnership
2500 W. Broad St, Third Floor
Richmond, VA 23220
804-828-1536
Virginia Mentoring Partnership is a 501 (c) 3 organization that is supported by grants, corporate donations, individual donations and in-kind services.  For more information or to support our organization please visit us at www.vamentoring.org.