WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ) introduced two bills that would support mentoring opportunities for historically underserved youth. The Students Helping Young Students Act would incentivize students participating in the Federal Work-Study (FWS) Program to be compensated for mentoring younger students at K-12 after-school programs. The Transition to Success Mentoring Act would increase access to school-based mentoring programs for at-risk middle school students in need of support. U.S. Representative André Carson (D-IN-07) will introduce companion legislation in the House.
Young adults who face an opportunity gap but have a mentor are 55% more likely to be enrolled in college than those who did not have a mentor. A study by MENTOR revealed that 70% of young people today recall a time when they needed a mentor for support but didn’t have access to one. These youth miss out on the transformative benefits of mentoring, such as higher college enrollment rates, regular participation in sports or extracurricular activities, consistent community volunteering, and greater opportunities to take on leadership roles. The bicameral bills aim to increase funding and support partnerships for mentoring programs across the country.
“Mentorship programs are innovative, evidence-based methods that provide underserved students with the attention and support they need to stay in school and pursue their dreams,” said Senator Booker. “Having a mentor at any age can help a child with their mental health, improve their academic performance, and inspire them to reach their highest potential. Both of these pieces of legislation will invest in and expand access to high quality mentorship programs so more kids have the support they deserve.”
"Throughout every stage in my life, mentors helped me become who I am," said Congressman André Carson. "Having a mentor can be the difference between graduating high school or dropping out, but it's not just about success on paper. Mentoring can also help students learn positive coping and communication skills, empowering young people with the confidence they need to live happy, full lives. With a trusted adult to confide in, young people's lives can have dramatically different outcomes. It's more important than ever to support mentoring programs across the country and match a mentor with every child who needs one."
January marks National Mentoring Month, a month to recognize mentors across the country and to promote the need to close the mentoring gap, ensuring every young person in need has access to a strong support system outside of the home.
The Students Helping Young Students Act would amend the Higher Education Act of 1965 to:
The Transition-To-Success Mentoring Act would amend the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 to:
The Students Helping Young Students Act and the Transition-To-Success Mentoring Act is endorsed by the following organizations: MENTOR, MENTOR Newark, The Partnership for West Side High School, New Jersey Tutoring Corps, Urban League of Essex County, Big Brothers Big Sisters of Essex, Hudson, and Union Counties, JerseyCAN, Newark Youth Career Pathways, National Organization of Concerned Black Men, US Dream Academy, Institute for Educational Leadership, iMentor, Big Brothers Big Sisters of America, CircleMatch, Boys and Girls Club of Newark, and First Focus Campaign for Children.
"Building mentorships and providing our children with opportunity represents the passion of my professional life," said Rasheen “Pep” Peppers, Chief Executive Officer of The Partnership for West Side High School and former Newark Police 5th Precinct Commander. "Senator Booker's two pieces of legislation are the real deal and provide me with hope. There are many great mentoring programs throughout the state that need partnership - and once again, our senior Senator lays out a sound, substantive, and practical blueprint for our future that responds to the needs of the state and will have an immediate impact on our neighborhoods."
"As New Jersey's top advocate for high-impact tutoring, we are grateful for Senator Booker's two significant pieces of legislation in tutoring and mentorship," said New Jersey New Jersey Tutoring Corps CEO Katherine Bassett. "The New Jersey Tutoring Corps was created as a corrective response to the dramatic learning gaps exacerbated by the pandemic and has since scaled to serve thousands of public school students throughout the Garden State. Without federal and state support, NJTC simply cannot do our important work and serve so many students. Senator Booker clearly understands the data and proven results tutoring provides, and we sincerely appreciate his leadership and will always join him in fighting for our kids' future."
"The Urban League of Essex County applauds and welcomes Senator Booker's legislative package supporting mentorships and work-study for our children. These are vital pieces of legislation, which will efficiently provide value and support to those living in our cities," said Vivian Cox Fraser, President & CEO, Urban League of Essex County. Once again, Cory is going far beyond politics and finding lanes that can unite us all. We are grateful for his long-serving work in this area and serving our community with ideas and policies that will make a real difference."
"JerseyCAN is excited about these two new pieces of legislation," said Paula White, Executive Director, JerseyCAN. "We know, especially when it comes to serving our most under-resourced learners, tutoring works and mentorship provides opportunity, and it is clearly important to connect college students to meaningful work in our schools’ after-school programs. Backed by decades of research, Senator Booker’s bills show his continued dedication to our country's young people. Through his tireless work, Senator Booker reminds us that sensible solutions and policy will always outshine politics and here at JerseyCAN, we pledge to walk alongside the Senator to do anything we can to help move this legislation forward."
"In my two decades working with Senator Booker, I know he is committed to data-informed, high-impact programming like mentoring,” said Carlos Lejnieks, President & CEO of Big Brothers Big Sisters of Essex, Hudson & Union Counties. “And now, more than ever, our youth need that personal connection to help navigate this increasingly challenging world and to manifest their full potential. Research has long shown that having a caring and consistent adult in the life of a child has an outsized positive impact both in amplifying good outcomes - attendance, grades, graduation - and reducing negative outcomes. Further, recent studies indicate that our mentoring model helps reduce the social-economic gap by two-thirds. My hope is that with this legislation, we will help launch and sustain a mentoring movement at this critical time in our nation's history."
"The power of mentorship is immeasurable," said Kaleena Berryman, Executive Director, Newark Youth Career Pathways. "In my twenty years working in New Jersey youth development, I have seen how the presence of a mentor completely changes the trajectory of a young person's life and helps them to overcome barriers with guidance, resources, and support. Consistent relationships with caring adults increase the likelihood of high school and post-secondary success, and good mentors stay with young people as they transition into their careers and the workforce. In Newark, with leaders like Cory Booker, the city has come together to support mentoring, and Newark Youth Career Pathways is thrilled to support the ability to scale its value to more families in New Jersey and Nationwide."
“Mentorship is foundational to Boys & Girls Club of Newark programming. Engagement with quality mentors allows youth to make meaningful connections with adults and peers, that supports their academic success, builds character, and improves communication skills. We believe that intergenerational mentorship is also critical for youth success when mentors are just one generation ahead, because they often better relate to young adult mentors more than those from older generations. That is why we support the Transition to Success Mentoring Act, and the Students Helping Young Students Act,” said Ameer Washington, Executive Director of Boys & Girls Club of Newark.
“We strongly support Senator Cory Booker’s Transition to Success Mentoring Act, which recognizes the critical role mentorship plays in helping students navigate challenging transitions. This "students-serving-students" approach is at the heart of what we do and exemplifies the power of mentorship to uplift individuals and strengthen entire communities. By fostering meaningful mentor relationships, this legislation has the potential to unlock better educational outcomes for students and inspire future generations to give back and build stronger communities,” said Max Kaplan, Co-Founder and Director of Strategy & Growth at Circle Match.