Sonya Fultz wants to talk, CEO to CEO, about a new way to find your niche as a mentor in Cincinnati—and how that can be good for business. She leads Adopt A Class, the regional nonprofit that connects approximately 4,000 mentors with 12,000 youth at schools around the region each year, and her organization recently joined a new collaborative of about a dozen mentor-focused groups, called We Mentor Cincy, that aims to be a one-stop shop for individuals and groups looking for mentoring opportunities. Partner organizations include Big Brothers Big Sisters of Greater Cincinnati, Cincinnati Youth Collaborative, City Gospel Mission, and more.
“Whether it’s dipping your toe into mentoring through Adopt A Class, throwing ball with Saturday Hoops, or tutoring, we know where you can go,” says Fultz, a member of We Mentor Cincy’s leadership team. “We can help kids get matched up with adult mentors who are right where they want to be in the mentoring space.”
CEOs might also be interested in new research that Adopt A Class recently completed with the help of the University of Cincinnati, Fultz says. The research involved giving a long survey to 353 active Adopt A Class mentors, conducting qualitative individual interviews and focus groups to learn what the mentors had experienced, and how the experience impacted their lives, both personally and professionally. “We know the impact our mentors are having on children is profound,” says Fultz. “We wanted to learn what positive impacts the experience had on mentors themselves and the organizations they represent.”
Mentors overwhelmingly said the experience gave them more confidence and led to professional growth and sometimes even career advancement. No matter what age or school they worked with, mentors reported learning new skills in leadership, communication, and project management and said they felt better connected with their colleagues. Responses showed that 81 percent reported increased pride in the company or organization that had sponsored the mentoring experience, 70 percent reported increased overall job satisfaction at work, and 87 percent left with a greater sense of social responsibility.
“We find that the more engaged you are the more likely you are to advocate for social issues for communities that do not mirror your own,” says head researcher Todd Foley. “The mentors become aware of the issues children are bringing to school that they shouldn’t have to bring to school.”
Young people are dealing with many challenges, from living in poverty to being exposed to gun violence, says Amy Thompson, president of Cincinnati Youth Collaborative, a leading organization in the new coalition. “Trusted adults in the lives of young people truly make a difference,” she says, noting that mentored youth are twice as likely to take on leadership roles and 78 percent more likely to become a volunteer later in life.
Thompson, Fultz, and other nonprofit leaders invite anyone interested in learning about mentoring to stop by the We Mentor Cincy Cook-Out June 21 at Daniel Drake Park in Kennedy Heights.