2009 Mentoring Award Honorees

Distinction in Mentoring Award

The Maryland Mentoring Partnership’s Distinction in Mentoring Award honors Maryland’s finest mentoring programs, in particular those that display notable qualities which distinguish their mentoring activities from other programs. Award recipients earn this mark of high achievement by attaining a special, sustained and outstanding level of program delivery.

2009 Distinction in Mentoring Winner:  BGE

A mentoring program is a great way to make a difference in the life of an aspiring or at-risk youth and unlock a student’s future. BGE’s 20-year partnership with Bentalou Elementary School and 10-year mentoring relationship remains a success today and is one of many examples of BGE’s commitment to the community. BGE is a strong advocate for developing students academically and socially and has contributed to making Bentalou a “Blue Ribbon” school in 2003. Mentored students tend to: attend school more often, get better grades, progress to higher education and obtain a career focus; therefore, BGE is proud to assist the nearly 300 children that benefit from this invaluable partnership.

Excellence In Mentoring Awards

The Maryland Mentoring Partnership’s Excellence in Mentoring Awards honor Maryland’s finest examples of helping young people achieve their potential through mentoring. In bestowing these awards, MMP looks for programs that adhere to national standards for best practices, achieve outstanding results for mentees and mentors, and serve as committed advocates for the mentoring movement in Maryland.

Award recipients this year represent the corporate, government, faith and community sectors. MMP is pleased to present the 2009 Excellence in Mentoring Award honorees:

Corporate:  LifeBridge Health

The vision for the LifeBridge Health student mentoring program— Building Bridges: The Freedom to Explore—is to encourage young people to broaden the scope of their expectations, pursue their interests and reach new heights of personal and academic achievement. The program’s mission is that through formal and informal interactions, mentors in this program will serve as role models and life coaches. They will instill the values of caring, respect and teamwork, helping mentees cultivate the skills needed to effect success at school and in the community.

In 2007, under the guidance of The Maryland Mentoring Partnership, LifeBridge Health embarked on a journey to expand the organization’s role and reputation in the community as not only a provider of excellent patient care but one that is also devoted to helping youth succeed.

LifeBridge’s program was designed to help motivate young people to stay in school. They partnered with two schools—Cross County K-8 in Baltimore City and Windsor Mill Middle School in Baltimore County, asking each to identify 10 to 15 students in 7th grade that would commit to a two year program. LifeBridge then set out to find 40 to 60 mentors among its employees—two for each mentee. Interest was so high that they quickly found all of the mentors they needed.

The LifeBridge Building Bridges Program is now in its second year. Both programs have planned times monthly for mentees and mentors to meet at the hospital and/or the school. There are group activities as well as one-on-one time for the mentors and mentees at each session. And while the program with this first group of students will officially end this spring and will start with new 7th graders in the fall, the relationships that have been started with the LifeBridge Building Bridges program will continue for years to come.

All those involved would certainly agree with the words of LifeBridge Health’s President and CEO, Warren Green, “It’s hard to imagine anything more satisfying than helping young people fulfill their potential.”

LifeBridge Health includes Sinai Hospital of Baltimore, Northwest Hospital, Levindale Hebrew Geriatric Center and Hospital, Jewish Convalescent & Nursing Home, LifeBridge Health and Fitness and Practice Dynamics, Inc.

Government:  Mayor’s Workplace Mentoring Program (MWPMP)

The Mayor’s Workplace Mentoring Program (MWPMP) matches 8th – 12th grade youth from Baltimore City’s middle and high schools with Baltimore City employees/mentors. The students being mentored are transported from school to worksite of the mentors for a shadowing experience and training in the area of job readiness, and oral and written communications. Candidates must have a C+ through B+ average, good or improving attendance, moderate to good behavior, but who are still not performing up to their potential. MWPMP seeks to take students on the edge of success and give them the support they need to excel.

Faith Communities:  The Elim FOCUS Program

The Elim FOCUS Program is a guided mentoring initiative that targets pre-teens ages 9 to 14 who hail from households involving single and/or incarcerated parents. The program provides pre-teens with a strategic focus on identifying and completing goals in the areas of academic, social, and behavioral success.

Elim aims to increase educational performance, influence how youth perceive their role in accepting social responsibility, and to reduce any destructive behavior patterns. These outcomes will be monitored through a collaboration with the Mayor’s Office of Children, Youth and Families, schools, and parents/caregivers.

The Elim FOCUS Mentoring Program is the vision of Rev. Monica Blackford under the umbrella of Elim Christian Fellowship Baltimore, Inc. For the past 15 years, Rev. Blackford has been a pioneer in the youth development movement.

Community:  Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Lower Eastern Shore

Big Brothers Big Sisters’ mission is to help children reach their potential through professionally supported, one-to-one relationships with mentors that have a measurable impact on youth.

Big Brothers Big Sisters is the oldest and largest youth mentoring organization in the United States. The organization is a leader in one-to-one youth service, developing positive relationships that have a direct and lasting impact on the lives of young people. Big Brothers Big Sisters provides mentoring services to children, ages 6 through 18 on the Lower Eastern Shore, Central Maryland and Southern Maryland.

The Big Brothers Big Sisters’ Vision is successful mentoring relationships for all children who need and want them, contributing to brighter futures, better schools, and stronger communities for all.