INTERNATIONAL MENTORING DAY
On January 17th, International Mentoring Day fosters a global understanding of the mentoring movement throughout the world. The day also raises awareness for the global contributions of mentoring.
Mentoring usually involves a more knowledgeable person sharing wisdom with someone who has less experience. Mentors share their skills in the workplace, schools, places of worship, and professional organizations.
Wherever one might need guidance, there are usually mentors. Those who are mentors usually find the position to be rewarding, too. Mentoring is also a great way to influence young people.
Being a mentee comes with many benefits, including:
- Increased chance of graduating from high school
- Healthier relationships with others and make better lifestyle choices
- Better attitude about school
- Improved self-esteem, self-confidence, and behavior
- Less likely to abuse alcohol or drugs
It’s not just the mentees that will benefit, however. Mentors feel good about impacting another person’s life and future. Mentoring can also help them gain a new perspective about certain problems. Being a mentor even improves communication and leadership skills.
As you can see, both the mentor and the mentee greatly benefit from this type of relationship, including some of the most famous mentoring relationships:
- Maya Angelou mentored Oprah Winfrey.
- Steve Jobs mentored Mark Zuckerberg.
- Woodie Guthrie mentored Bob Dylan.
Some of the most influential men and women attribute their success to having a mentor. Men and women like Mother Teresa, Ansel Adams, Walter Cronkite, Colin Powell, and Sally Ride.
HOW TO OBSERVE #InternationalMentoringDay
On this day, individuals and organizations are encouraged to share stories about the real-life power of mentoring. These stories are shared through social media, photos, and videos. Mentors and mentees can visit the Muhammed Ali Center at a discounted rate. The Muhammed Ali center also hosts events, such as film screenings and exhibits. To participate:
- Find someone to mentor or get involved in a local mentoring organization.
- If you can’t get involved, donate to a mentoring organization.
- Learn more about the benefits of mentoring for both the mentor and mentee.
- Watch a Muhammed Ali documentary, such as “When We Were Kings,” “The Trials of Muhammed Ali,” or “Muhammed Ali” by Ken Burns.
Share this day on social media with #InternationalMentoringDay.
INTERNATIONAL MENTORING DAY HISTORY
In January of 2002 MENTOR National, along with the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health launched National Mentoring Month. Years later in 2016, MENTOR helped create the first International Mentoring Day. They chose January 17th in honor of Muhammed Ali’s birthday. Along with being a boxing legend and global humanitarian, Muhammed Ali was a mentor to family members, friends, and fans around the world.