WHY VOLUNTEER OR MENTOR WITH CILI?

Why mentoring? One of the most pressing challenges facing society today is youth unemployment. In the US alone, there are nearly 6 million youth, ages 16 to 24, who are disconnected from both work and school. One study estimates that the human potential lost as a result of our educational-achievement gap results in the economic losses equivalent to a permanent national recession For today’s youth, especially those from under-served communities, mentors can help them find pathways to productive, fulfilling, sustainable lives.

Youths with mentors are more likely to be successful in school, more likely to be leaders in their communities, and more likely to enter into young adulthood with opportunities for ongoing education and career choices. With more than 60% of new jobs requiring post-secondary education, mentors can play an important role in helping youth apply to college and successfully complete their degrees. Today, one in three young people will reach the age of 19 without having an adult mentor of any kind. The US business community can play an important role in filling the mentoring gap. Read report on "Mentoring: at the crossroads of education, business and community"