Neighborhood Involvement Program (N.I.P.) Youth Mentoring Program

The mission of N.I.P.'s youth mentoring program is to provide caring mentors to children in N. Minneapolis who need a positive role model in their lives. N.I.P. believes that through mentoring, children will be able to better realize their potential and will be better equipped to help themselves in the future.

N.I.P.'s youth program is new this year and will begin in the fall 2011 school year.

Mentoring Program Overview: Together Obtaining Guidance Encouraged Through Healthy Empowering Relationships (T.O.G.E.T.H.E.R.) is a non-profit youth mentoring program offered by the Neighborhood Involvement Program (NIP). Youth mentoring is important because it pairs an adult volunteer with a young person who needs or wants a caring, responsible adult in their lives. T.O.G.E.T.H.E.R. serves youth 5th-8th grade. Qualified children for the program live in North Minneapolis. The program aims to help children reach educational and personal goals by matching them with a mentor who will meet with them once a week for one hour. By matching a child with a qualified mentor, they will be able to see themselves grow from a child into a young adult.

Mentor Description: Mentors come from all different backgrounds. The one thing they have in common is a desire to be a positive influence in a child’s life. Mentors need to commit to meeting one-on-one with a child once a week for at least one school year. The mentor is someone who will help a child with their school work; as well as teach them skills they can use within the community. Examples include helping with homework, reading a book together, playing chess, filling out job applications together, cooking a meal, discussing professional goals, etc.