President Biden proclaimed January as National Mentoring Month, a nationwide observance honoring today’s mentors and encouraging communities to engage in mentoring activities to ensure positive outcomes for youth.
“For most young people, a bond or even a conversation with someone who believes in them can make a tremendous difference in their lives, exposing them to new goals, new ideas, and new ways of doing things.
Since day one, my Administration has been working to support those kinds of relationships—in schools, in communities, and in the workforce.”
— President Joseph R. Biden
OJJDP is committed to investing in youth mentoring initiatives nationwide. In fiscal year 2023, OJJDP awarded nearly $90 million to 42 organizations to support mentoring services to young people who are at risk for delinquency, victimization, and system involvement; youth impacted by opioids and other substances; and youth involved in the system. OJJDP also provided more than $2.6 million to the National Mentoring Resource Center to improve youth mentoring through resources, evidence-based practices, research, and technical assistance.
Join OJJDP at the National Mentoring Summit, hosted by MENTOR, on January 24-26, 2024.
RESOURCES:
- Visit OJJDP's mentoring webpage.
- Download the In Focus: Mentoring Youth fact sheet.
- Review OJJDP's Model Programs Guide literature review on Youth Mentoring and Delinquency Prevention.