mentor (noun) -a trusted counselor or guide

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, nearly a quarter of Hoosier children live in poverty. For children under the age of six, the rate is even higher.
 
Do you have an hour per week that you could share with a youth?   

• With a mentor, kids are more likely to graduate from high school.
• With a mentor, kids are more likely to attend a four-year college. 
• With a mentor, kids are less likely to fight in school or become involved in criminal activities.

Great mentors are patient, consistent, dedicated, and good listeners. You do not need to be perfect to be a mentor, and you don't need to spend money. By being a mentor, you can help to improve your mentee's self-esteem and academic success. You can help your mentee to discover new talents, attitudes, and dreams, and increase his or her ability to find and keep a job.

Mentors benefit, too. They get to share their skills and talents with a young person who wants to learn, and mentors gain valuable experience that is important to their own professional development.

By spending an hour a week as a mentor, you can help to change someone's entire life for the better.

If you'd like to learn more, join us at the Library on Tuesday, October 16th, at 7pm, when Bill Stanczykiewicz, President and CEO of the Indiana Youth Institute, talks about mentorship.