March 2018
Get In the Middle of It!
As the mom of a toddler, I still have some time to go before I have to navigate the middle school years as a parent. But as a mentor in a middle school program, and as part of the VMP team that supports mentoring of all kinds, I have been reminded lately about how critical that time is for young people - and what a difference caring adult mentors can make in their lives.  

Our colleague and partner Rebekah Holbrook, Director of Community Impact with the United Way of Greater Richmond & Petersburg, has written a fantastic series on middle school engagement that I encourage you to take a moment to read. It will take you back to your middle school years and will affirm the importance of what all mentors do for young people as volunteers, partners, funders, and community members. Mentors do matter - especially for middle schoolers! 
Elizabeth Bass, Executive Director
Virginia Mentoring Partnership
Like Us & Help Us Get to 1,000!
Stay connected with us and help us reach 1,000!

We ask all of you who work with us around the state and want to learn more about mentoring and all of our mentors, mentees and corporate partners to LIKE us on Facebook and help us get to 1,000 before the end of March!

Increasing our social community helps us keep you informed of the growing impact that mentoring is having on kids around the Commonwealth.
Service Spotlight
On Friday, VMP participated in the Henrico ManUp Fatherhood Initiative's 2018 Conference. Over 100 attendees gathered for workshops in support of ManUp's mission to enhance the well-being of students by increasing the number of children growing up with an involved, responsible, and committed father/male figure. VMP used this time to recruit mentors and share with programs more information about our work. We are grateful to Henrico County Public Schools for their ongoing partnership.
*Jessica Dalton, left, with some participants of the EAB Royall & Company Mentoring Program

Partner Spotlight -
EAB Royall & Company

Jessica Dalton, Employee & Community Engagement Leader at EAB formerly Royall & Company, is a champion in the mentoring field. EAB and Jessica’s relationship with VMP crosses all facets of a successful corporate partnership. Jessica leads EAB’s College Mentoring Partnership as an extension of the company’s employee and community engagement initiatives. EAB’s College Mentoring Partnership connects with the community through providing one-on- one mentoring to juniors and seniors at three organizations: The Boys and Girls Club of Metro Richmond, The Latino Education Advancement Program, and The Church Hill Academy. Each school year, VMP trains EAB employee mentors to help build relationships with their mentees. As a leader in the higher education industry in strategic, data-driven student engagement, EAB is living out their mission through delivering an award-winning program powered by employees and focused on a student-centered mentoring model exploring topics
such as college planning and search, financial planning, and professional development. Not only does Jessica spearhead this program, she is personally a mentor herself at Brookland Middle School through Henrico Heroes and is an active member of VMP’s 25 th Anniversary Committee.
*EAB was awarded the VMP Outstanding Mentoring Program in 2017.
Upcoming Events
March 20, 5:30-8pm - New Mentor Training Session - Register Here
Participants will gain a solid understanding of: a mentor’s role, relationship-building techniques, stages of relationship development, reporting requirements, communication, setting boundaries, and the positive youth development framework. We welcome current mentors, program staff, and anyone interested in improving their mentoring or youth development skills.

March 23, 10-11am - Evaluation Informational Webinar - Contact Betsy Bilharz for Call-in Details
Learn different ways your program can engage with evaluation support through VMP. VMP offers programs an opportunity to consult with expert John Harris on topics as basic as survey tools and as extensive as participation in a rigorous external evaluation process.  Wondering how to prepare for an evaluation? Have questions about the evaluation you are currently doing? Want to hear more about what it will be like for you to engage with evaluation through VMP? This is a good chance to get your questions answered.
What's Happening Around the State


VMP might be headquartered in Richmond, but our organization has an impact on mentoring reaches across the Virginia. Here's a little bit about some great things happening in other regions.
Southwest VA

Since the fall, VMP has been providing technical assistance to Heritage High School in Lynchburg's GEAR UP Mentoring Program. GEAR UP, or Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs, provides college preparatory services and skills development to a cohort of seventh-grade students through graduation.
As a result of technical assistance, HHS has implemented mentor training and developed policies and procedures aligned with best practices, and the program launched last month.
Charlottesville VA

In February, VMP hosted a great crowd in Charlottesville for a training on Motivational Interviewing, facilitated by Charlotte Chapman of the UVA Women's Center. Mentors devoted their morning to learning about using partnership, acceptance, compassion and evocation to help facilitate behavioral change. Participants left the training with a basic understanding of how the Motivational Interviewing framework applies within mentoring relationships, and a follow-up session is in the works for those interested in practicing further.
Hampton Roads VA

Longtime VMP program partner Team Up Mentoring at the Up Center in Norfolk is currently participating in VMP's evaluation initiative.
The Up Center has leveraged this resource to partner with evaluation expert John Harris to undertake a rigorous external evaluation of the program's match quality and outcomes. To learn more about the evaluation initiative, participate in our webinar on the 23rd.
Team Up Mentoring is a Quality Partner Member and a host site to VMP's AmeriCorps VISTA program.