It's Kick Off Time!

On Thursday, October 3, 2013 we kicked off our new year! We had about 40 guest including parents, mentors, students, community partners and school administrators in attendance. The group was excited and anxious to learn who they would have as a mentor or mentee.

The morning began with introductions and mentor training facilitated by Elizabeth Mitchell, Neighborhood Resources Liaison for the Neighborhood and Business Services division of the City of Charlotte.

Participants discussed the importance of mentoring and learned that mentoring is "a relationship over a prolonged period of time between two or more people where an older, caring, more experienced individual provides help to the younger person as he/she goes through life." as defined by the Connecticut Mentoring Partnership.

Participants also learned that the key to creating effective mentoring relationships lies in the development of trust between two strangers of different ages.

Mentees were able to talk with their peers and learn the importance of having a mentor and how this new relationship can be beneficial to their success in school and beyond.

Many thanks to Chick Fil A Albemarle Road for serving us breakfast.

For more information on the Mayor's Mentoring Alliance visit
http://charmeck.org/city/charlotte/mayor/MentoringAlliance/Pages/newhome.aspx