The Chamber of Commerce Welcomes the Delaware Mentoring Council
According to the Delaware Mentoring Council's 2001/2002 Public School Survey, teachers and counselors report that 17,000 Delaware youth could benefit from a relationship with a mentor. Among the benefits, mentoring has been proven effective in increasing grades, attendance, and participation in class and in decreasing the recidivism of crimes and dropout rates of students who are mentored.

Delaware Mentoring Council Overview
Established by Governor Tom Carper in 1998, the Delaware Mentoring Council comprises representatives from businesses, education, government, and mentoring service providers with the common goal of increasing the impact of mentoring across the state.

Mission
The Delaware Mentoring Council advocates for the mentoring of children in our public and private schools and communities with the ultimate goal of providing a mentor to every child who needs one.

The Council identifies and promotes best practices and standards, raises awareness and promotes the recruitment of mentors, works to insure adequate levels of resources to support mentoring programs statewide, and supports efforts to provide and improve training, technical assistance, and evaluation of mentoring programs.

Get Involved, Be a Mentor
You or your business can help strengthen the mentoring initiative in Delaware by engaging in a variety of programs through the Delaware Mentoring Council. For more information, please call (302) 831-0883.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Mentoring?
The Delaware Mentoring Council defines mentoring as a one-to-one relationship between an adult and a child that benefits the child academically and/or socially. It is a positive, supportive relationship between a young person and a caring adult.

Who mentors?
Mentors come from every imaginable background. A mentor can be a Ph.D. or a high school graduate, a high-profile executive, or a stay-at-home mom. Mentors share one characteristic - a desire to make a difference in the life of a child.

A mentor is:

• a trusted friend
• a guide
• a good listener
• a responsive adult
• a reliable adult

A mentor isn't:

• a savior
• a foster parent
• a therapist
• a parole officer
• a cool peer