President Biden proclaimed January as National Mentoring Month, a nationwide observance honoring today’s mentors and encouraging communities to engage in mentoring activities to ensure positive outcomes for youth.

“A rising number of adolescents are experiencing mental health challenges, including from bullying and social media harms.

That is why, as part of my Unity Agenda I announced in my State of the Union address, my Administration is pairing children with mentors who can help them navigate these complexities, open up doors of opportunity, and give them the additional support they may need to excel in school and in their communities." — President Joseph R. Biden

OJJDP continues to invest in youth mentoring initiatives nationwide. In fiscal year 2022, OJJDP awarded more than $69 million to 19 organizations under its National Mentoring and Multistate Mentoring programs, which provide mentoring services to young people who are at risk for delinquency, victimization, and system involvement. OJJDP’s Mentoring for Youth Affected by Opioid and Other Drug Misuse program distributed more than $16 million to 16 organizations to support youth impacted by opioids and other substances.

OJJDP also awarded nearly $2.7 million to support its National Mentoring Resource Center, which works to improve youth mentoring with resources, evidence-based practices, research, and technical assistance.

Join OJJDP at the National Mentoring Summit, hosted by MENTOR, on January 25-27, 2023.