Mentoring is all about empowering and encouraging young people to be happier, healthier, and more successful. When adults invest their time and energy in the lives and futures of youth, it is a beautiful gift that leaves a lasting impression on everyone involved. This January, celebrate National Mentoring Month by helping children in need in your community and around the world with these five ideas.
 

1. Get Educated

If you do not have a lot of information about mentoring and would like a better understanding, National Mentoring Month is the perfect time to up your game. Check out a book about the powerful impact of mentoring or listen to a podcast to learn more about how it is done in different places. Connect with local mentorship groups and ask for information about how they run their programs, how mentors and mentees get connected and how you can help the cause.
 

2. Talk to Your Local Leadership

In some places, mentorship programs are unavailable or suffer from a devastating lack of funding. If this is the case in your community, consider reaching out to your local leaders to discuss the importance of mentoring programs and how your community might find a way to start and/or fund one. Even if your community has a thriving program, it never hurts to send your praise for it on to those in charge. When programs receive positive feedback from the community, it helps motivate leadership to keep them fully funded.
 

3. Attend an Event

Check out your local mentoring program’s schedule of events for the month. If there are not any available to attend, you can sign up for virtual events designed to celebrate mentoring. These are hosted by experts from around the world who are eager to educate attendees about the power of mentoring and can be attended over video call or phone.
 

4. Raise Funds for Mentoring Communities

Like most community programs, mentoring organizations can always use donations to help amplify their message and reach more potential mentors, mentees, and supporters. If you cannot host an in-person event, consider creating an online fundraiser to benefit local, national, or international mentoring organizations. Websites such as GoFundMe and social media have made it easier than ever for individuals to raise money for worthy causes.
 

5. Become a Mentor

If you are able, consider becoming a mentor yourself this National Mentoring Month. Your commitment to the children you mentor might just be the thing that gives them the self-esteem they need to pursue the life of their dreams. Contact your local mentoring organization to see what you need to do to become a mentor and start changing the lives of the youth in your community today.

This January, children worldwide will benefit from the relationships they have built with the mentors in their lives. Countless smiles will shine brightly as their futures are made brighter still. To ensure your family’s smile stays bright, too, contact Pediatric Dental Group to schedule a checkup today.