A study conducted by the UMass Donahue Institute on the impact of youth mentoring programs was highlighted in a press release appearing on The Wall Street Journal’s MarketWatch site. The release announced the third consecutive year of a collaboration between Mass Mentoring Partnership and Staples on an awareness and outreach campaign that aims to recruit adult mentors for approximately 3,000 Massachusetts youth. The campaign kicked off National Mentoring Month, an annual effort to raise public awareness and recruit mentors throughout the country.

The release cited research findings from a survey of middle and high school aged youth, which looked at student outcomes and the impacts of mentoring programs throughout Massachusetts. Researchers found that nearly two-thirds (64%) of mentored students reported experiencing school related improvements, such as, higher grades and better attendance, due to their mentoring relationship. Mass Mentoring Partnership, a statewide umbrella organization for more than 190 mentoring organizations supporting 23,000 youth in mentoring relationships across the state, engages the UMass Donahue Institute to conduct a biennial statewide youth mentoring survey, which reveals and maps current mentoring trends, gaps, and program practices.

Read the release, “Staples and Mass Mentoring Partnership Announce Call to Action to Recruit Adults and Businesses in Massachusetts to Support Youth Mentoring” (The Wall Street Journal MarketWatch, 1/4/2012)