Become a Mentor!

Please be sure to check out our updated calendar of events to find statewide mentoring meetings, trainings and activities in your local community!

News and Updates 

Peer Mentoring Program Launched

The members of the Iowa Mentoring Partnership's Public Education Committee recently matched three certified programs with a peer mentor program.  While the Peer Mentoring Program is a new initiative for the Iowa Mentoring Partnership (IMP), seven programs have already volunteered to share their mentoring expertise and experience by serving as a peer mentor program. 

All programs that are seeking first-time certification with the IMP will be offered the assistance of a peer mentor program that matches the structure and essential elements of their own program.  In addition, all certified mentoring programs may express their interest in receiving a peer mentor program through a recurring question that will be added to the IMP's Quarterly Reports.

Iowa Mentoring Partnership Releases Summer 2010 Newsletter

The Iowa Mentoring Partnership's Summer 2010 Newsletter is now available!  Please take a moment to browse through the newsletter to learn about upcoming events, trainings and other information related to the mentoring field. 

11th Annual Minnesota Mentoring Conference, "Quality in Action"

Monday, October 25, 2010, 8:00 a.m. - 4:45 p.m.
University of Minnesota, St. Paul Campus - Continuing Education & Conference Center

The Minnesota Mentoring Conference is the region's only annual conference focused exclusively on supporting quality mentoring, and attendees have called it exceptional, energizing and insightful.  This year's theme is Quality in Action, featuring keynote speaker Andrea Taylor, Ph.D. from Temple University and special guest speakers Larry Wright, Ph.D., President & CEO of MENTOR/National Mentoring Partnership and Peter Benson, Ph.D., President & CEO of Search Institute. 

For more information, please visit: www.mpmn.org

Iowa Ranks Second in the Nation for Volunteering and Fifth in the Nation for Mentoring!

Governor Chet Culver announced that more Iowans are volunteering, giving Iowa the second-highest volunteer rate in the country.  Iowa ranks second in the nation in volunteer rates with 38.7 percent of Iowans devoting time to help others in 2009.  That surpasses last year's rank of fifth, according to the recent "Volunteering in America" report released by the Corporation for National and Community Service.

Iowans devoted a total of 109 million hours to volunteering in 2009, an increase of 28 million hours compared to 2007's total.  The rise in volunteerism produces an increase of more than $560 million in services to Iowa.    

Additional highlights from the report include: 

·  The rate of mentoring adults has increased from 17th to fifth in the nation.

·  Iowa City has the second highest volunteer rate nationally for cities, with 50 percent of residents volunteering.

·  Des Moines has the sixth highest volunteer rate nationally for cities, with 39.7 percent of residents volunteering.

·  Iowa's college volunteer ranking has increased from 32nd to second in the nation.

One Million Mentors National Tour visits Des Moines

On May 26, 2010 the One Million Mentors Tour made a stop at North High School in Des Moines.  In partnership with Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Iowa, more than 1,000 children, adults and community leaders attended the event to view a performance by the Isiserettes Drill & Drum Corps and a moving panel discussion with Michael Baisden, Representative Ako Abdul-Samad and other mentoring advocates.

Please visit the One Million Mentors website to view pictures and learn more about the national campaign.

My Prevention Community Highlights Mentoring

The My Prevention Community website features a mentoring page that includes a networking group, numerous free mentoring fact sheets, publications and resources, a mentoring marketplace and free online trainings for those in the mentoring field. 

While the website also features a number of resources for those in similar fields of prevention, the IMP is pleased that mentoring is beginning to receive more recognition as a preventative strategy for children and youth! 

The Iowa Mentoring Partnership's website is generously hosted through a partnership with Iowa Health System.