About MENTOR Florida
Our Mission and Vision
Mission
MENTOR Florida’s mission is to fuel the quality and quantity of mentoring relationships for Florida’s young people and to close the mentoring gap for the one in three young people growing up without this critical support.
Vision
Each young person in Florida has access to the supportive relationships and social capital they need to become thriving, productive and engaged citizens.
Why Now?
Potential is equally distributed; opportunity is not. A major driver of healthy development and opportunity is who you know and who’s in your corner. MENTOR was created more than 30 years ago to expand that opportunity for young people by building a youth mentoring field and movement, serving as the expert and go-to resource on quality mentoring. The result — a more than 10x increase in young people in structured mentoring relationships, from hundreds of thousands to millions.
Today, we activate a movement across sectors that is diverse and broad and seeps into every aspect of daily life. We are connecting and fueling opportunity for young people everywhere they are from schools to workplaces and beyond.
Why Us?
MENTOR Florida is one of 26 affiliates that make up the nationwide MENTOR affiliate network, each working together to advance the power of mentoring across the country. As part of this strong and unified national movement, MENTOR Florida is positioned to leverage national resources and partnerships while focusing on the unique needs of Florida’s youth. This collective strength provides the opportunity to create meaningful impact by connecting young people with mentors who support their growth and development. Together, we are fostering a culture of mentoring that strengthens communities and creates brighter futures for the next generation.
How We Do the Work Nationally
Advancing Local Field Leadership: Supporting the effectiveness of new and existing MENTOR Affiliates to scale MENTOR’s geographic footprint and deepen the impact of the mentoring field.
Expanding the Movement: Motivating civic leaders, employers, and individual stakeholders to prioritize and invest in ensuring all young people have access to mentoring relationships.
Prioritizing Quality: Identifying, promoting, and driving the implementation of evidence-based practices combined with community wisdom to increase the quality of mentoring relationships for young people.
Influencing Systems: Creating and guiding innovative solutions that integrate relationship-centered practices and policies while driving resources for the adoption of mentoring structures and mindsets within youth-serving systems.
