Harvard Public Health NOW

Barack Obama, George W. Bush, and Colin Powell to Appear in Public Service Announcements for National Mentoring Month

President George W. Bush, President-elect Barack Obama, and General Colin L. Powell are headlining the Eighth Annual National Mentoring Month volunteer recruitment drive.

National Mentoring Month is spearheaded by the Harvard Mentoring Project of the Harvard School of Public Health, MENTOR/National Mentoring Partnership, and the Corporation for National and Community Service. Media partners include: CBS, FOX, NBC, MTV, Comcast, Time Warner, and the National Association of Broadcasters.

Held each January, the campaign mobilizes community volunteers to help young people achieve their full potential.

As a highlight of National Mentoring Month 2009, Thank Your Mentor Day™ will be celebrated on January 22. On that day, Americans are asked to reach out to thank or honor those individuals who encouraged and guided them and had a lasting impact on their lives. Thank Your Mentor Day™  promotes “Four Ways to Honor Your Mentor”:

1. Contact your mentor directly to express your appreciation.
2. Pass on what you received by becoming a mentor to a young person in your community.
3. Make a financial contribution to a local mentoring program.
4. Write a tribute to your mentor for posting on www.WhoMentoredYou.org.

Contact the Center for Health Communication at HSPH at (617) 432-1038 for more information.