Boomer Mentors Initiative

Harnessing the experience of a generation to help another generation.

You have what it takes to be a mentor.

Mentor: a volunteer opportunity that is meaningful and makes a difference!

Lifespan and Rochester Mentors are leading a three-year initiative to recruit at least 200 members of the baby boom generation as mentors for Rochester City School District students. Baby boomers, now age 46 to 64, were born between 1946 and 1964.

Goal

Our goal is to tap the knowledge and experience of this generation to help improve the district’s graduation rate. Boomers want to know they are making a difference when they volunteer, and mentoring does make a difference. Students who have mentors use drugs less, attend school more and graduate at higher rates than those who don’t.

Funding

To fund the initiative, the Rochester Area Community Foundation qualified for a $500,000 challenge grant from a multi-national foundation, the Atlantic Philanthropies, which is focused on unleashing the potential of the boomer generation to solve social issues. The challenge grant requires a dollar-for-dollar match, and donations are needed!

Rochester Mentors, based at Lifespan, is an association of local mentoring organizations.

Want to know more about mentoring? Click here.

Mentoring Makes a Difference
Statistics that make sense . . .

Mentored children have:

• Better school attendance

• An increased chance to move on to higher education

• An improved attitude about education

Mentoring helps prevent:

• Substance abuse

• Negative behaviors

Mentoring helps promote:

• Positive social attitudes and relationships

• Trust and communication with parents

Mentored students who meet frequently with a mentor are:

• 52 percent less likely to skip a day of school

• 46 percent less likely to start using illegal drugs

• 37 percent less likely to skip class

• 27 percent less likely to begin drinking