Supporting the Goals and Ideals of National Mentoring Month
SUPPORTING THE GOALS AND IDEALS OF NATIONAL MENTORING MONTH -- (House of Representatives - February 08, 2006)
Mr. Speaker, I want to thank my colleague from Nebraska for his leadership in bringing this resolution recognizing National Mentoring Month to the floor today. Since he arrived in Congress, the coach, as he is so often called, has worked to make youth issues a priority both on and off the field, and this resolution is another example of his dedication to this effort.
As we celebrate mentoring today, I am reminded of the words of Coretta Scott King when she said: I am fulfilled in what I do. I never thought that a lot of money, nor fine clothes, the finer things in life would make you happy.
Mentoring is not a material good. It does not involve lots of heavy spending or working long hours to achieve monetary greatness, but mentoring truly is one of the finer things in life. It is a valuable activity that gives all involved a sense of happiness and connection that material things cannot.
A mentor, of course, is often an adult, who, along with parents, provides young people support, counsel, friendship, and a constructive example. The average mentor spends 8 to 10 hours a month with his or her mentee on activities such as reading a good book aloud, visiting museums or going to the playground.
When a young person is matched with a caring, responsible individual, this relationship often makes a positive difference in the quality of life for that young person.
For much too long we have focused on providing remedies to problems that only address negative behavior, rather than looking at ways to promote the positive and healthy development of our young people. This resolution directs us to focus on what children need in order to grow into healthy, safe and well-educated adults, making sure that children have access to a caring and responsible adult relationship.
Mentoring opens young people's eyes to a brighter future, and every young person deserves that opportunity. Unfortunately at this time there are simply not enough mentors to go around. Only about 1,000 of the more than 1 million school-aged children in the Chicago area are fortunate enough to have a mentor. Nationally more than 15 million young people currently are in need of a caring adult role model.
In Chicago and across the country, it is clear that the mentoring framework is in place. Now we just need more people to volunteer their time to help change the life of a child. Research shows that young people who are mentored have a stronger attachment to school, higher graduation rates, and decreased involvement with drugs, gangs and violence.
This bill recognizes these positive outcomes and acknowledges the hard work of individuals and groups who promote mentoring. Mentoring is a strong investment in our children and in the future of our country. Therefore, Mr. Speaker, I am indeed pleased to join with Representative Osborne and my colleagues in celebrating the essential role that mentoring plays in the lives of our young people.
Again, I commend the gentleman from Nebraska for his outstanding leadership in bringing these kinds of issues to the forefront and to the attention of the Members of this body.
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