On January 28, 2016, MENTOR: The National Mentoring Partnership (MENTOR) and the Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS) will recognize corporations for their outstanding contributions to advancing quality mentoring opportunities for young people and their commitment to the Corporate Mentoring Challenge over the last five years.

Launched by First Lady Michelle Obama at the 2011 National Mentoring Summit convened by MENTOR, the Corporate Mentoring Challenge promotes and recognizes the breadth and impact of private-sector engagement in quality youth mentoring. These companies demonstrate that mentoring is a key strategy for connecting young people to social and economic opportunities and leads to a stronger 21st-century workforce.

 “[The Corporate Mentoring Challenge] is a program calling on businesses of all sizes to allow their employees to mentor for short periods during the work day, giving kids positive role models and offering employees a way to give back,” the First Lady said during the launch of the Challenge.  “People like all of you help me believe that a child who grows up surrounded by doubt and fear and negativity can still feel loved and inspired and hopeful for their future.  And times like these also make me feel like we’re on our way to building a culture where no child ever feels like they’re on their own.”

The private sector is uniquely positioned to make an impact through mentoring in the communities where they are located. Companies not only have financial resources to invest in quality programs, but also a pool of adults who can model positive attitudes, intellectual curiosity, compassion for others and the determination to succeed – characteristics young people need in order to achieve success.  In return for these investments, businesses see increased employee productivity, improved morale and retention, and positive community relations.

The White House Office of Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships and CNCS have also supported the Corporate Mentoring Challenge as part of President Obama’s ongoing efforts to have the administration serve as a catalyst of cross-sector initiatives to help all youth achieve their full potential.

“The breadth and variety of the businesses involved in this Challenge over five years has been remarkable,” Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS) CEO Wendy Spencer said. “I’d like to thank each and every company for their demonstrated commitment to youth mentoring.  It is through their effort and continued support that we can help connect young people to social and economic opportunities and prepare them for future success in the workforce.”

“Five years in, we are appreciative of the First Lady’s initial leadership in elevating this call to action and this collaborative effort with CNCS which has resulted in an extraordinary collection of corporate leaders in engaging in mentoring young people worthy of this national recognition,” MENTOR CEO David Shapiro said.  “MENTOR and our local affiliates have seen increased engagement from the private sector and we stand ready to ensure future investments of time and money in mentoring get the proven results possible.”      

All businesses who have committed themselves to the Challenge will be recognized for their leadership in advancing support and opportunities for young people during the 2016 National Mentoring Summit.

Corporate Mentoring Challenge Honor Roll Members include:

• 3M

• Amdocs Inc.

• American Express

• AT&T

• Bank of America

• Bethpage Federal Credit Union

• Bloomberg

• Blue Cross and Blue Shield Companies

• BNY Mellon

• Certilman Balin

• Chesapeake Employers Insurance Company

• Citi

• Coastway Community Bank

• Comcast NBCUniversal

• COPT

• ExxonMobil

• EY

• Federated Investors

• First Niagara Bank

• Gateway Financial

• GE

• Genentech

• Highmark Inc.

• Hilton-Baltimore

• Hunter Associates

• IBM

• Intel

• JPMorgan Chase & Co.

• Legg Mason

• Libra Group

• LPL Financial

• Luxottica

• Morgan Stanley

• Pittsburgh Penguins

• Pittsburgh Steelers

• Raymond James

• Raytheon

• Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company

• Rivkin Radler LLC

• Ross Stores Foundation

• Securian Financial Group

• State Street

• Transamerica

• Travelers Insurance

• Under Armour

• University of Pittsburgh Medical Center

• Viacom

• Webster Bank