Content courtesy of Walker Sands Communications, a Techweek Gives sponsor organization.
Now in our third week of the first-ever Techweek Gives campaign, the competition is starting to heat up. Each week, we’ll be sharing some new ideas to help your organization move up on the leaderboard. This week, we’re taking a closer look at youth mentoring and how participating in mentorship initiatives can not only benefit the community but your business as well.
Research has proven that having a mentor can provide numerous positive benefits. For instance, youth involved with consistent, caring mentors are more likely to be successful in school, become leaders in their communities and enter young adulthood with opportunities for education and career choices.
There’s no denying that mentorship can have a powerful impact on young people personally, academically and professionally. But why should your organization?
Here are three ways that mentoring can benefit your company and the community as a whole.
Improve Leadership Skills
It’s said that teaching is often the best way to learn. While that holds true for many tactical skills, it’s especially true of softer leadership skills such as interpersonal communication, patience and empathy. Through mentoring, your employees will have the chance to teach and model these skills, thereby building their own skills in the process.
Manage Stress
Helping others is a great way to cut down on stress. In a study by the United Health Group, 78 percent of people who volunteered over a 12-month cycle said that charitable activities lowered their stress. If your employees or coworkers are working through an intense week or a large project, mentoring is a great option to step away for a moment, clear the mind and come back refreshed.
Fill the Mentoring Gap
Today, more than one in three children will grow up without a mentor, including an estimated 9 million at-risk youth. But with options like e-mentoring and mentoring connector services, it’s easier than ever for businesses across all industries to jump in and help fill the mentoring gap.
These are just three of the many ways that youth mentoring partnerships benefit both your community and your company. Whether you’re building a better and brighter future for at-risk youth or improving employee leadership skills, one thing is certain: For most companies, mentoring is a cost-effective and valuable giving strategy where everyone wins.
The Techweek Gives campaign, powered by uBack, is working to support S.T.E.A.M. and other worthy nonprofits in Chicago. The goal: to raise $1 million and commit 10,000 volunteer hours in 90 days. To learn more, click here.
Atom 