Vermont Business Magazine On Monday, June 4 convened the third annual 2018 Vermont Mentoring Symposium at the Waterbury State Office Complex. This day-long conference is the only professional development and networking opportunity of its kind focused on youth mentoring in Vermont, and brought together nearly 60 youth mentoring program staff, board members, and supporters from across the state for a day of networking and professional development.
“It was exciting to see and connect with so many professionals dedicated to the furthering of the mentoring movement here in Vermont,” said Mobius Executive Director Chad Butt. “The mentoring program leaders in attendance (as well as those who weren’t able to be there) continue to be the backbone of our collective work to support young people across the state.”
The morning portion of the event featured a keynote address from David Shapiro, CEO of MENTOR (The National Mentoring Partnership). In his remarks, Shapiro highlighted Mobius’ connection to the national movement as Vermont’s state affiliate of MENTOR, and shared current data and trends from the field.
The morning also included remarks from Vermont Agency of Human Services (AHS) Secretary Al Gobeille and Department for Children and Families (DCF) Commissioner Ken Schatz. Gobeille and Schatz discussed the importance of youth mentoring programs, and the role mentoring can play in helping to achieve DCF and AHS’ larger goals. DCF and AHS are long-time supporters of Mobius, and have provided more than $2.3 million in funding to support youth mentoring programs since 2006.
Workshops at the event were made possible by The Alchemist Foundation, Community Bank, N.A., Larkin Hospitality, and VSAC (Vermont Student Assistance Corporation). The workshops included trainings and discussions dedicated to supporting youth in exploring post-secondary opportunities, adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and trauma-informed care, neurodiversity, and strengthening mentoring program operations.
“The neurodiversity workshop at the symposium was met with enthusiasm and a lot of active interest from the participants,” said Brad Smith, executive director of the Vermont Learning-Support Initiative, a Hardwick-based nonprofit serving teens with learning and attention challenges in the Northeast Kingdom who aspire to a college degree. Smith led the training on neurodiversity along with Corey Richardson, a professor of education and human studies at Champlain College and the University of Vermont. “It was heartening to see that level of engagement from those in a strong position to improve the lives of Vermont students who learn differently, through mentoring programs,” said Smith.
The Vermont Mentoring Symposium was planned and organized by Mobius and its Program Leadership Council, an advisory group comprised of elected representatives from mentoring programs across the state that advises and assists the organization with its various youth mentoring initiatives. The Symposium was also sponsored by Fairfield INN & Suites (Waterbury), and National Life Group.
According to the “Mentoring Effect,” a study released in 2014 by MENTOR (The National Mentoring Partnership), one in three youth in Vermont will enter adulthood without having a formal or informal mentoring relationship with a caring adult. National studies by MENTOR and Big Brothers Big Sisters demonstrate that youth with mentors are less likely to engage in risky behavior with drugs and alcohol, and are more likely to develop positive relationships with peers and adults, and pursue college and other post-secondary opportunities. Based on the 2017 Vermont Mentoring Surveys, youth supported by mentoring programs in Vermont are 48 percent more likely to feel like they matter to people in their community, and nearly 75 percent of mentors play a direct role in their mentee’s education.
Now in its sixth year as Vermont’s Mentoring Partnership, Mobius supports approximately 140 adult-to-youth mentoring program sites that serve 2,300 mentor pairs throughout the state. Mobius awards more than $300,000 to youth mentoring agencies annually through the Vermont Mentoring Grants, which are made possible by support from the A.D. Henderson Foundation, the Vermont Department for Children and Families, and the Permanent Fund for Vermont's Children. Mobius also offers technical support to program staff, maintains an online program directory and referral system for volunteers, manages a quality-based program management database, raises public awareness of mentoring, works with programs to ensure they are meeting best practices, and leads statewide mentoring initiatives.
Source: Mobius. 6.13.2018. For more information about Mobius, and mentoring programs and initiatives in Vermont, visitwww.mobiusmentors.org.