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The advocacy team at Mass Mentoring Partnership (MMP) has been actively working to increase public resources, to create public awareness around the importance of positive youth-adult relationships in the lives of young people, and to advocate for the role developmental relationships play in building resilient communities. In celebration of National Mentoring Month, we're excited to launch this newsletter as a way to share announcements, resources, and events with you on a regular basis.
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Impact of the Election in the New Year
Despite whatever political party you may be affiliated with, it's safe to say that the rhetoric of this past election was uniquely disturbing with its racist, sexist and hateful undertones. While statements from our President-elect were upsetting for many adults who were following the election, it is important to acknowledge the detrimental effect that this language has on our youth and how such statements deeply upset and impact our young people, particularly for young people of color, LGBTQ, Muslim and immigrant youth. Following the election,
the Boston Public School system offered counseling to their students following the unexpected election of Donald Trump, and to elevate the dialogue between our youth toward inclusion and compassion for others, which is something that everyone should be mindful of and practicing.
We at Mass Mentoring Partnership are committed to combating racism, sexism, Islamophobia, bigotry and do not condone any hateful statements or actions. We will continue to support youth across the state and will be paying particular attention to our youth who are at-risk, so they can become successful in school and in life, while calling for much-needed social-emotional supports and mentoring relationships. With many youth dealing with daily struggles and trauma, these relationships are critical.
As we look towards Trump's inauguration in January, there are a lot of unanswered questions, like how a Trump presidency will affect our education system and can threaten all of the substantial gains during Obama's eight years such as the passing of the Every Student Succeeds Act, his My Brother's Keeper initiative, and reducing disparities in school discipline which can push some students toward the School into Prison Pipeline.
As advocates for youth, now more than ever, we must call for our elected officials, statewide and those who represent us in Washington, to support restorative juvenile justice practices, equal access and equality in our schools and beyond, and to divert state and federal funds to youth programs and school systems in the new year.
Ways to get involved:
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Youth Mentoring Day at the State House
January 18, 2017
Youth mentoring organization staff, mentors, mentees, advocates, and legislators are convening to speak about Building Futures Through Relationships. To RSVP,
click here.
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MMP's Policy Agenda for 2017
Over the last year, we have broadened our advocacy efforts from solely focusing on allocated state funding for youth mentoring to support initiatives like dropout prevention and recovery policy. MMP has supported and testified in favor of two bills related to the graduation coach initiative, but in the last year, we have taken substantial steps to create a systemic approach to dropout prevention and recovery.*
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Youth Voice Project
We also collected peer to peer data from high school-aged students in the Boston Public School System to support our advocacy efforts through a survey and holding focus groups.*
*To view our
full policy recommendations and resources on dropout prevention,
click here.
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The Need for Developmental Relationships in Schools:
A Policy Discussion
On Wednesday, November 30th, Mass Mentoring Partnership gathered partners and stakeholders for an in-depth overview and discussion on dropout prevention policy.
Read more
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MMP Testifies at the
Communities of Color Agenda Listening Tour
The Massachusetts Black and Latino Legislative Caucus convened a listening tour throughout the state in an effort to seek input from the public as they determine the legislative solutions to address the concerns most impacting Black and Latino communities.
Read more
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Mentoring and youth development programs' voices are vital in helping Mass Mentoring Partnership (MMP) raise awareness about the role empowering youth-adult relationships play in addressing systemic social problems and garner support at the local, state and federal levels of government. To learn more about how you can get involved,
visit our
website
or contact
Manager of Government Relations.
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