Mission:
The National Mentoring Partnership exists for 15.7 million reasons — each is a young person with the potential to offer a great deal to our society. The organization believes mentoring can unleash that potential by pairing young people with caring adults to guide and encourage them, and it works to establish and assist programs nationwide that pursue that goal.

Purpose of Site:
The partnership does not provide direct mentoring services but instead works to offer the resources and tools that mentoring organizations need to effectively serve young people in their communities. The Web site, produced in conjunction with Kaplan Educational Centers and Newsweek, is a crucial part of this effort and offers a wide range of resources focused on mentoring.

Background:
Through its leadership and support, the partnership helps community and state agencies, schools and educators, businesses, civic associations, faith-based organizations, youth nonprofits, employers, and individuals work together to build, sustain, and strengthen mentoring opportunities. The organization's standards and its training initiatives, which include programs at local centers, a guidebook, and an interactive Web site, help leaders develop responsible mentoring programs in any setting. In addition, the partnership operates a response line to answer questions about mentoring, participates in public awareness campaigns centered on mentoring and its benefits, and advocates for public support and funding of mentoring opportunities.

Home Page:
To help potential mentors jump into the process, visitors to the partnership's home page can enter their zip code or the name of a program in a search box that helps them pinpoint suitable opportunities. The page also includes links to new features on the site and the Spotlight on Mentoring, which profiles an outstanding mentoring program. The set of links on the left side of the page includes Become a Mentor, Be a Better Mentor, Find a Mentor, Run a Program, Take Action, Find Resources, Meet Our Partners, and State Partnerships, while the links at the bottom of the page lead to the About Us, Contact Us, and Donate sections of the site.

Outstanding Feature:
The training materials available on the partnership's site are invaluable to both mentors and mentees alike. The step-by-step training for mentors helps those new to the job and those interested in brushing up on their skills. It discusses the mentoring lifecycle, how to work with a mentee on setting goals, and advice for developing a strong relationship with a young person and participating in activities that are fun and educational. The equivalent course for mentees covers how to find a mentor, the benefits of having a mentor, developing or improving a mentoring relationship, things to do with a mentor, and when and how to say goodbye.

Honorable Mention:
Under the Find Resources heading, Web users will find a mentor toolkit replete with research on the effectiveness of mentoring, training products and volunteer management tools to help run a program, and an FAQ section focused on the impact of mentoring. The Take Action part of the Web site also stands out as a great place to visit to learn about policy issues and advocacy efforts related to mentoring.