Press Release - CO Mentor Pair as National Model
OFFICE OF LT. GOV. BARBARA O'BRIEN
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Tuesday, January 15, 2008
Contacts:
Ellen Dumm, 303 866-6361 (office) or 303 829-0194 (cell)
LT. GOV. O'BRIEN CONGRATULATES COLORADO MENTOR PAIR AS NATIONAL MODEL
January is National Mentoring Month
Lt. Gov. Barbara O'Brien this week congratulated a Denver high school sophomore and his mentor for being selected to star in a national public service announcement on mentoring.
"Colorado is proud to have a mentor pair serving as the nation's role model. They are the embodiment of how mentoring can help students achieve their full potential," said Lt. Gov. O'Brien.
Mark Ballard of Denver has been mentoring Nigel*, now a sophomore at the Denver School of the Arts, since 1999 when Nigel was just six years old. The two are featured in a national public service announcement designed to recruit additional volunteer mentors during National Mentoring Month.
Denver Kids Inc. nominated the pair, who was interviewed by the Harvard Mentoring Project for three hours before they were selected. A female mentor pair from San Francisco is also featured in PSAs this month.
In conjunction with National Mentoring Month, the Governor's Commission on Community Service announced the following activities:
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Monday, January 21, the National Mentoring Month campaign will join in celebrating the Martin Luther King, Jr. Day of Service, spearheaded nationally by the Corporation for National and Community Service.
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Thursday, January 24 is Thank Your Mentor DayTM. Americans are encouraged to reach out and thank or honor individuals who encouraged and guided them.
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Wednesday, January 30, Mentoring 101 Workshop (5:00-6:30 p.m.). This is an orientation course for volunteers considering youth mentoring, and will occur at 444 Sherman Street, Denver 80203 in the Red Cross Building.
Additional information about National Mentoring Month is available at www.WhoMentoredYou.org. To find out more about mentoring opportunities in Colorado, go to www.metrovolunteers.org, or call Mark Skinner in the office of the Governor's Commission on Community Service at 303 866-2565.
National Mentoring Month is spearheaded by the Harvard Mentoring Project of the Harvard School of Public Health, MENTOR/National Mentoring Partnership and the Corporation for National and Community Service.
Based in the Office of the Lieutenant Governor, the Governor's Commission on Community Service exists to support and promote volunteer service by all citizens as an effective means to addressing community needs and fostering a collective commitment to lifelong community service.
*Nigel's last name is not being released at the request of his family.