08-R014

2008 -- S 2061

Enacted 01/10/08

S E N A T E R E S O L U T I O N

RECOGNIZING JANUARY, 2008 AS "NATIONAL MENTORING MONTH"

Introduced By: Senators Gallo, and Issa

Date Introduced: January 10, 2008

     WHEREAS, The future of the State of Rhode Island rests on the hopes and dreams of its

children and youth; and

     WHEREAS, Mentors offer valuable encouragement, motivation and hope for our youth

by providing consistent role models; and

     WHEREAS, Too many youth will face struggles with alcohol and other drugs, gangs,

teen pregnancy and educational failure; and

     WHEREAS, Research has shown mentored youth are 53% less likely to skip a day of

school, 46% less likely to start using drugs, 33% less likely to engage in violence and 27% less

likely to start drinking; and

     WHEREAS, Relationships with caring mentors offer youth valuable encouragement,

motivation, and support to guide them toward making positive choices. There are thousands of

Rhode Island youth still waiting for mentors; and

     WHEREAS, The Rhode Island Mentoring Partnership, in collaboration with mentoring

programs throughout the state, is committed to increasing the number of quality mentors and

quality mentoring relationships statewide; and

     WHEREAS, Partnerships between businesses, education and mentor programs are an

effective way for businesses to support youth within the community; and

     WHEREAS, Mentoring before, during and after school has become an effective strategy

used by schools to increase student attendance and academic performance; and

     WHEREAS, Collaborative mentor programs that are supported by the entire community

(i.e. the local chamber, local law enforcement, service clubs, local media organizations, etc.) are

more visible and therefore more successful; and

     WHEREAS, National Mentoring Month provides an opportunity to recognize and

commend the efforts of these programs and raise community awareness of the importance of

mentoring; now, therefore be it

     RESOLVED, That this Senate of the State of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations

hereby recognizes January, 2008 as "National Mentoring Month" and encourages Rhode Island

residents to honor the role models in their lives by becoming mentors to youth in the community;

and be it further

     RESOLVED, That the Secretary of State be and he hereby is authorized and directed to

transmit a duly certified copy of this resolution to the Rhode Island Mentoring Project.

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LC00483

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