The mentoring movement is facing unprecedented challenges during the changing landscape of a global pandemic and deepening divides rooted in racial inequity. MENTOR New York, a leader in the statewide mentoring movement, will convene New York’s youth development and mentoring professionals virtually for the 18th Annual Mentoring Matters Conference on Friday, April 16, to address increasing racial equity and creating spaces of joy for young people.
In Syracuse and Rochester, the Hillside Work-Scholarship Program, which works with both areas’ school districts, will gain new tools and techniques to learn, reflect, reassess, and redirect their work with young people in ways that ensure diversity, equity, and inclusion are the driving force. The conference is open to the public and is ideally suited for youth development professionals and mentors.
“As we have seen in the past ten months, it is no longer enough to state your organization’s commitment to increasing racial equity,” said Brenda Jimenez, CEO of MENTOR New York. “Now is the time for courageous action. We need to come together as a movement and take definitive and collective action creating anti-racist spaces. This is hard work that no one can do on their own, which is why MENTOR New York has partnered with Adelphi University, Niagara University’s Office of Multicultural Affairs, and the Rose Bente Lee Ostapenko Center for Race, Equity, and Mission.”
“This conference will address the dimensions of mentoring for diverse populations in educational spaces, a topic of great interest to mentoring leaders, school supervisors, and those interested in starting mentoring programs or serving as mentors,” said Chotsani Williams West, Executive Director of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion at Adelphi.
Over 400 experts, organization leaders, and educators are expected to attend the conference virtually to engage in interactive workshops providing concrete skills and new knowledge that lead to direct action. Large-group sessions, including the keynote and plenaries, will tackle large-scale challenges from multiple perspectives and provoke new ways to think about the work that professionals are doing with young people.
The conference will include expert presenters and panelists immersed in diversity, equity, and inclusion and the mentoring movement
MENTOR New York partners with adults who want to make a difference in the lives of young people and elevate their voices. By providing them with cutting-edge tools and resources, MENTOR New York is fueling mentoring relationships and fostering mentoring cultures that will give young people the confidence to take on tomorrow’s leadership roles or even develop their own.
For more information, and to register to attend the conference, visit the website at https://www.mentornewyork.org/mentoring-matters-conference.
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