National Mentoring Day
Most everyone has someone they look up to! And when that person is willing to invest some time and energy into helping them along on their own journey, the relationship is that much more important.
National Mentoring Day celebrates and raises awareness for the importance of having mentors and role models to look up to in life!
History of National Mentoring Day
Founded in 2014, National Mentoring Day began as a campaign to make mentoring available to everyone, no matter their age, ethnicity or background. The event of National Mentoring Day also was used as a way to launch the National Mentoring Awards, which is an important way that mentors are recognized throughout the UK.
Inaugurated into the Houses of Parliament in London, United Kingdom in 2020, National Mentoring Day was sponsored by Lord David Young, the founding Patron. The day continues to grow in popularity as it is reaching into other places in the world.
While National Mentoring Day is not quite yet as popular in the United States, a campaign has begun asking Congress to be more supportive in regards to the mentoring initiative. Individuals can participate by sending an email to their own Senators or Representatives.
Whatever the case, this is a great day to get connected and involved, whether it’s a young person aiming to get a new mentor or an experienced person choosing to share with someone who is coming along behind. That’s what National Mentoring Day is all about!
How to Celebrate National Mentoring Day
Get involved with National Mentoring Day by exploring some of these ways of celebrating:
Say Thanks to a Mentor
On National Mentoring Day, let a mentor know what they mean to you! Whether it is someone who has recently been a mentor at work, or a teacher from years ago who made a difference in your life, this is the perfect day to take a moment to send them a little thank you.
Whether it’s through an email or a hand-written thank you card, they’ll likely be pleased by the fact that the time was taken out to tell them how much they are appreciated.
Host a National Mentoring Day Event
Those who are connected in an organization or a community might want to consider holding an event in honor of National Mentoring Day. Depending on the context, this might mean setting up an event through a mentoring program at a local school, creating an event related to a mentoring and apprentice program at work, or building into an existing organization that is already committed to mentoring.
It might even be fun to host mentoring awards and offer the recognition to those who sometimes go unnoticed! Bringing mentors and their “mentee” together for a celebration is a great reason to host an event.
Sign Up to Be a Mentor
One amazing way to get involved in National Mentoring Day is to dedicate some time to mentoring someone who is a little further behind on their journey. This might include committing to a program at work, at a local school, through a library or even in a local chapter of an organization like Big Brothers Big Sisters of America. The most important part is developing a committed relationship with someone who needs a person to look up to.
