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The program was founded in 1986, and, in conjunction with Norwalk Public Schools, matches students from kindergarten through 12th grade with adults who serve as positive role models.
Since 2009, the Norwalk Mentor Program has been housed at the Human Services Council. The program made 248 matches during the past year, and the mentors devoted 10,000 hours of time to the mentees, with 100 percent of the seniors in the program graduating from high school with plans to attend college.
“More than one in three people in the United States never had a mentor of any kind while they were growing up, and this includes 9 million at-risk youth,” said Nancy Pratt, director of the Norwalk Mentor Program. “We strive to address this mentoring gap in Norwalk by providing students with a one-on-one mentoring relationship with a caring adult.”
She added, “By offering this support at school, we eliminate barriers that would otherwise prohibit many students from enjoying the benefits of mentoring. We are thrilled to have the support of People’s United Community Foundation. The Norwalk Mentor Program has reaped wonderful benefits for both our mentor and mentees for over 25 years, but this work simply would not be possible without the generosity of our funding partners."
The Human Services Council has been in operation for seven decades, with a goal of meeting community needs and helping to educate and empower the people. The council’s programs involve child abuse and advocacy, homelessness, alcohol and drug prevention, school-based medical and mental health services and mentoring.
For more information, visit the website at www.hscct.org.
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