January — National Mentoring Month — a time to celebrate the transformative power of mentorship and highlight the essential role park and recreation professionals play in fostering youth development and mentoring in local communities.
Mentorship benefits everyone, but its impact on young people is especially profound. Research shows that youth with mentors are more likely to volunteer regularly in their communities, take on leadership roles in clubs or sports teams, and develop a stronger sense of belonging.
However, at least one-third of youth grow up without a mentor. Even more concerning, six percent of Gen Z — equivalent to two million youth — report having no mentor and no meaningful adult relationship in their lives (Who Mentored You?).
Every January, NRPA proudly showcases stories of mentorship in action and provides resources to help local park and recreation agencies create meaningful youth mentoring opportunities in their communities. Together, we can bridge the mentorship gap and support the next generation of leaders!
What does youth mentorship look like in parks and recreation?
Mentorship happens every day in parks and recreation through formal programs such as workforce development, sports teams or afterschool programs and through informal daily interactions. Across the field, agencies are increasingly leveraging evidence-based mentoring practices within existing youth programs or creating standalone mentorship opportunities to support young people’s overall well-being and positive development. As one of the largest providers of youth development services nationwide — reaching more than 40 million youth annually — park and recreation agencies are uniquely positioned to offer impactful mentorship experiences that support the next generation.
Examples of Mentoring in Action
How can you celebrate National Mentoring Month?
There are many opportunities to celebrate National Mentoring Month.
- Every January, NRPA celebrates National Mentoring Month by highlighting the power of mentorship and the important role park and recreation professionals play in supporting young people. As we prepare for this year’s celebration, we’d love to feature your experiences! Share a story and/or a photo that shows how mentoring is making a difference in your community. NRPA staff will choose one photo entry to be the cover for the updated Youth Mentoring Framework. For more details about visual storytelling, including capturing photos that tell compelling stories, see Tips for Taking Powerful Park and Recreation Photos.
- NRPA and the U.S. Soccer Foundation invite youth champions to a 90-minute virtual Coach-Mentor Training Webinar that transforms how we support young people. This powerful free workshop on Thursday, January 29, at 2:30 p.m. EST equips coaches, recreation professionals and youth leaders with evidence-based strategies to build meaningful connections, inspire leadership and create environments where every young person can discover their potential. Topics are relevant for staff across programs—including after-school, camps, and other youth activities—not just sports staff. Join a nationwide movement to bridge the mentoring gap and make a lasting difference in young lives.
Register Today
- Use your communications channels to share facts about mentorship and promote awareness of how mentoring takes place in your community. Use facts from reliable sources like the National Mentoring Resource Center or MENTOR and utilize their National Mentoring Month promotional toolkits.
- Highlight specific days throughout the month by planning events or using your communications channels.
- Recognize the mentors in your recreation centers, programs and community!
- Apply for funding to support your mentoring program!
- Follow NRPA on social media and help us share stories from the field, using the hashtag #MentoringInParks.
Resources to Support Youth Mentoring Programs
- NRPA’s Youth Mentoring Framework offers a 16-week curriculum of sample topics and activities that can be used in 1:1 or group settings. Other resources such as Career Pathways Through Youth Mentoring and Community Service Through Youth Mentoring offer best practices and ideas for local programs.
- NRPA’s Building Local Partnerships to Support Youth in Parks and Recreation resource offers strategies and case studies for connecting youth to services to support their overall mental health and well-being.
- NRPA’s Amplifying Youth Voice in Parks and Recreation resource equips park and recreation professionals with practical strategies to embed youth voice in programs by offering choice, seeking feedback and involving youth in decision-making, fostering greater ownership, leadership and engagement among participants.
- As a park and recreational professional, you play a key role in making sure that every coach has the resources and guidance to move beyond coaching and become a mentor — helping young athletes thrive both on and off the field. NRPA’s Mentoring Through Youth Sports guide aims to help weave mentoring into all youth sports programs.
- MENTOR’s Elements of Effective Practice for Mentoring™ highlights six evidence-based standards that are intended to be applicable for any type of mentoring program. Supplemental guides are also available for specific target programs. MENTOR is a national partner of NRPA and a leading organization in the mentoring field.
- The National Mentoring Resource Center is the nation’s premier source of training, technical assistance, tools, research summaries and other information for youth mentoring programs. They provide no-cost technical assistance and offer a wealth of resources on their website.
Photo: Youth practice tying neckties as part of the Burlington (North Carolina) Recreation and Parks mentoring program. Photo courtesy of Andre Watson Photography.
This resource is supported by Grants #15PJDP-22-GG-03735-MENT, 15PJDP-22-GG-03844-MENT, and 15PJDP-24-GG-03819-MENT awarded by the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, Office of Justice Programs, U.S. Department of Justice. The opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect those of the Department of Justice.
