On January 17, the mentoring field celebrates the power of mentoring young people to foster global understanding, build momentum, and broaden networks that bring people together. As part of National Mentoring Month, Muhammad Ali serves as a symbol for International Mentoring Day, which celebrates the power of mentoring inspired by Muhammad Ali’s legacy.
In 2016, MENTOR: The National Mentoring Partnership and the Muhammad Ali Center marked the first annual International Mentoring Day on January 17—the birthday of boxing legend and global humanitarian Muhammad Ali.
Research shows that mentors play a powerful role in providing young people with the tools to strive and thrive, to attend and engage in school, and to reduce or avoid risky behavior like drug use. In turn, these young people are:
Yet, the same research shows that one in three young people in the United States alone will grow up without a mentor outside their family.
At the same time, research shows that 44% of adults are not yet mentoring but are willing to consider it and mentoring is poised for growth.
18- to 29-year-olds are more than twice as likely to cite having had a mentor in their childhood than those over 50. Almost half of today’s young adults report having a mentor in their youth and those rates appear to have been rising steadily over the past several decades.
The Muhammad Ali Center was co-founded by Muhammad Ali and his wife Lonnie in their hometown of Louisville, Kentucky. The international cultural center promotes the six core principles of Muhammad Ali (Confidence, Conviction, Dedication, Giving, Respect, and Spirituality) in ways that inspire personal and global greatness and provides programming and events around the focus areas of education, gender equity, and global citizenship. Its newest initiative, Generation Ali, fosters a new generation of leaders to contribute positively to their communities and to change the world for the better.
Mentoring plays an important role in the development of a child or youth. On #InternationalMentoringDay, let’s share stories, photos, and powerful messages of mentoring in your life and community. https://t.co/F4bCv2Wuad pic.twitter.com/Ted7pNTNPs
— Alberta Mentors (@AlbertaMentors) January 17, 2021
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