Michelle Obama Celebrates 10th Anniversary of National Mentoring Month
Corporate Mentoring Challenge Issued at National Mentoring Summit in Washington, D.C.
St. Louis, MO, January 25, 2011 - Michelle Obama announces the Corporate Mentoring Challenge today during her keynote address at the "Achieving Academic and Social Success: Supporting Youth through Mentoring” National Mentoring Summit, held at the Library of Congress in Washington, D.C. Led by the Corporation for National and Community Service, the goal of the Corporate Mentoring Challenge is to help youths gain leadership skills, achieve their educational goals and increase their confidence.
Illustrating the importance of corporate support for mentoring, Mrs. Obama introduced and shared the story of 16-year old Justina (“Tina”) Colvin and her mentor, Veronica Cool. Big Brothers Big Sisters/Maryland Mentoring Partnership matched the two in a mentoring relationship in December 2009 as part of a partnership with Baltimore Talent Development High School and Wachovia/Wells Fargo. Tina is now a “peer leader” and marching band member at her high school. Veronica, whose husband is a former Little Brother, knows first-hand the value of quality, long-term mentoring.
Following the First Lady’s remarks at the summit, Big Brothers Big Sisters long-time mentor and Director of the White House’s Office of Faith-based and Neighborhood Partnerships Joshua DuBois moderated a high-level mentoring panel. United States Attorney General Eric Holder, Jr., U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services Kathleen Sebelius, U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan and CEO of the Corporation for National and Community Service Patrick Corvington discussed the administration’s work to use mentoring as a tool to improve educational outcomes and reduce juvenile delinquency.
