Expand Your Universe. Mentor a Child.
Increasing the number of supportive adult relationships in the lives of young people is one of the core strategies of Anchorage United for Youth (AUY), the groundbreaking community partnership co-led by United Way of Anchorage. By focusing the efforts of more than 40 nonprofit, private, public, Native, and faith-based organizations around a comprehensive plan to help Anchorage youth graduate from high school and reject violence and substance use, AUY is helping our community achieve greater well-being.
Supportive adult relationships with youth have proven to increase positive youth development and decrease risky and problem behaviors. Long-term one-on-one mentoring for youth promotes positive behaviors such as improved self-esteem, social skills, and career development, while reducing the incidence of delinquency, substance use, and academic failure.
Volunteering as a mentor through one of the Anchorage Mentoring Alliance member organizations is a great way to support one of our young people. Opportunities range from helping a school-aged child with reading, to spending time with an at-risk middle school age child, to mentoring an older foster child through the transition into adulthood.