National Mentoring Month is an annual campaign observed every January across the United States to raise awareness about the impact of mentoring relationships and recruit more adults to serve as mentors for young people who need consistent, caring support.
Big Brothers Big Sisters has been a founding partner of this campaign since its launch in 2002, and Big Brothers Big Sisters of Colorado has been matching young people with trained adult mentors since 1918. For us, January is not just an awareness moment. It is our most important annual recruitment window, and a call to the nearly 300 Colorado youth currently on our waitlist for a mentor.
If you have ever considered becoming a Big, this is the month to start.
What Is National Mentoring Month?
National Mentoring Month is a month-long awareness and recruitment campaign established in 2002 by the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health and MENTOR: The National Mentoring Partnership. It is observed every January by schools, employers, community organizations, nonprofits, and government agencies across all 50 states.
The campaign exists to close the mentoring gap: the distance between the number of young people who could benefit from a consistent adult mentor and the number who actually have one. Nationally, that gap affects millions of young people. In Colorado, BBBSC’s waitlist alone represents nearly 300 youth who are ready and waiting.
Key observances within the month include Thank Your Mentor Day, held on the second Thursday of January, when communities are invited to recognize the adults who show up, and I Am a Mentor Day, held the following Friday, as a call to action for prospective volunteers. The campaign hashtags #MentoringMonth, #BeAMentor, and #MentoringMatters are used widely across social media throughout January to share stories, recruit mentors, and celebrate the impact of mentoring relationships.
Big Brothers Big Sisters of Colorado is Colorado’s largest and most established youth mentoring organization, operating across the Denver Metro and Pikes Peak regions. Our programs are professionally supported, evidence-informed, and connected to the national BBBS network, which is the country’s longest-running and most rigorously evaluated mentoring organization.
Why Mentoring Matters in Colorado
The mentoring gap in Colorado is real, measurable, and urgent. Thousands of young people across the state are growing up without a consistent caring adult outside their family, and the research is unambiguous about what that absence costs them.
According to national Big Brothers Big Sisters outcome data, youth with mentors are 52% less likely to be arrested, 46% less likely to begin using drugs, 27% less likely to begin using alcohol, and 20% more likely to enroll in college than peers without mentors. A 2023 longitudinal study by researchers Alex Bell and Neviana Petkova found that mentored youth earn 15 to 19 percent more in early career wages, and that government recoups the cost of mentoring programs through increased tax revenue within approximately seven years.
At BBBSC, the populations we serve reflect where the need is greatest. In 2025, 70% of our Littles came from single-parent households, 41% of families received income assistance, and 15% had a parent who was incarcerated. In 2025 we served 1,641 young people across Colorado, with matches lasting an average of 3.6 years. Seventy-eight percent of Littles maintained or improved their grades. Ninety-four percent felt confident they would achieve their goals even when facing significant barriers.
And still, nearly 300 Colorado youth are waiting for a Big right now, most of them boys.
Every dollar invested in quality mentoring returns three dollars in societal benefits through reduced justice system costs, higher lifetime earnings, and stronger communities. At BBBSC, the average cost per youth served is $1,954 per year. Prevention is not just the right thing to do. It is the smart investment for Colorado.
How BBBSC Observes National Mentoring Month
January is BBBSC’s most active recruitment and engagement period of the year. Throughout the month we run volunteer recruitment campaigns, recognize our existing Bigs, share match stories and mentoring research with the Colorado community, and engage donors whose support funds our capacity to respond to the January surge in interest.
Adults who apply in January are typically matched by late winter or early spring, giving their mentoring relationship the full year ahead to take root. In FY2025, BBBSC mentors contributed 46,416 volunteer hours, valued at $1,798,155. Thank Your Mentor Day gives us a structured moment to honor that commitment publicly.
We also use National Mentoring Month to spotlight the specific need for male mentors and for mentors who reflect the cultural backgrounds of the youth we serve. Twenty-six percent of our Littles identify as Hispanic, 25% as Black or African American, and 13% as multiracial. Representation in mentoring relationships matters, and January is when we make the most direct ask to those communities.
Follow BBBSC on social media throughout January and use #MentoringMonth, #BeAMentor, and #MentoringMatters to share why mentoring matters to you.
How to Get Involved This January
Become a Mentor
The most impactful thing you can do during National Mentoring Month is apply to become a Big. BBBSC matches trained adult volunteers with youth ages 5 to 18 across the Denver Metro and Pikes Peak regions. The commitment is four to eight hours per month for a minimum of one year.
All prospective mentors complete a detailed application, in-person interview, multi-level background checks, including national criminal database and sex offender registry, reference verification, and evidence-based training on youth development, boundaries, cultural responsiveness, and mandatory reporting before being matched. BBBSC program staff provide ongoing support throughout the relationship. The process typically takes four to six weeks. Individuals with certain criminal convictions, history of child abuse or neglect, or other disqualifying factors identified during screening may not be eligible to volunteer.
Enroll a Child
If you know a young person between the ages of 5 and 18 who could benefit from a mentor, we want to hear from you. BBBSC programs are available at no cost to families across our service area.
Donate
Your tax-deductible donation supports the recruitment, training, and professional match support that makes every mentoring relationship possible. A gift of $1,954 funds one full year of mentoring for a Colorado youth. Donations to BBBSC qualify for the Colorado Child Care Contribution Tax Credit, meaning you can claim 50% of your gift back in state tax credits, up to $100,000.
Advocate
BBBSC advocates for Colorado policies that fund and sustain youth mentoring programs, including the Tony Grampsas Youth Services Program and out-of-school-time programming expansion. Contact your state legislators at leg.colorado.gov and share why mentoring matters in your community.
Learn About Our Advocacy Priorities →
Our Programs
BBBSC offers multiple mentoring pathways designed for different schedules, settings, and levels of commitment. Every program is professionally supported and connected through our Big Futures framework, ensuring all youth in our care are building toward life after high school.
Community-Based Mentoring is our signature one-to-one program. Mentors and mentees choose their own activities and meet two to four times per month. It is ideal for adults who want a flexible, self-directed relationship built around shared interests. Matches are supported throughout by BBBSC staff. Learn more →
School-Based Mentoring through our STARS and Project AIM programs reaches youth directly in their schools. STARS is a 22-week peer mentoring curriculum focused on social-emotional learning and leadership. Project AIM is a six-week evidence-based curriculum for middle schoolers centered on identity, decision-making, and career readiness. School-based programs are our fastest-growing model. Learn more →
Sports Buddies is a group mentoring model built around staff-planned activities, including hiking, skiing, STEM workshops, and professional sporting events. All activities are organized by BBBSC staff, making this a strong entry point for adults who prefer a structured experience with lower individual planning requirements.
Big Futures is integrated into every BBBSC mentoring relationship for high school-aged youth, providing wraparound support for college preparation, career exploration, financial literacy, and life skills. Learn more →
January Is the Moment
At Big Brothers Big Sisters of Colorado, we have been asking one question since 1918: how are the children?
Right now, nearly 300 Colorado youth are on our waitlist. National Mentoring Month is the moment our community comes together to close that gap. One consistent, caring adult can change the course of a young person’s life. That adult could be you.
Become a Big → | Donate → | Enroll a Child →
Frequently Asked Questions
When is National Mentoring Month?
National Mentoring Month is observed every January in the United States. It runs the full month of January, with Thank Your Mentor Day on the second Thursday and I Am a Mentor Day the following Friday.
Who founded National Mentoring Month?
National Mentoring Month was founded in 2002 by the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health and MENTOR: The National Mentoring Partnership. Big Brothers Big Sisters has been a founding partner of the campaign since its launch.
Is National Mentoring Month a federal observance?
National Mentoring Month is not a federal holiday but it has received recognition from U.S. presidents and Congress since its founding in 2002. It is widely observed by federal agencies, state governments, schools, nonprofits, and employers across the country each January.
What hashtags are used for National Mentoring Month?
The most widely used hashtags for National Mentoring Month are #MentoringMonth, #BeAMentor, and #MentoringMatters. Organizations and individuals use these throughout January to share stories, recruit volunteers, and celebrate mentoring relationships.
How can I get involved in National Mentoring Month in Colorado?
The most impactful way to participate is to apply to become a mentor with Big Brothers Big Sisters of Colorado. You can also donate to support mentoring programs, enroll a child, contact your state legislators to advocate for mentoring funding, or share mentoring awareness content using #MentoringMonth.
How do employers observe National Mentoring Month?
Many Colorado employers use National Mentoring Month to encourage employees to volunteer as mentors, partner with youth mentoring organizations like BBBSC, host volunteer information sessions, or make corporate donations to support mentoring programs. BBBSC welcomes corporate partnerships and can work with employers to facilitate group volunteer engagement during January and throughout the year. Contact us at (303) 433-6002 to learn more.
Do I need experience working with youth to become a mentor?
No prior experience is required. BBBSC provides comprehensive training before you are matched, covering youth development, relationship building, cultural responsiveness, and mandatory reporting. What matters most is a genuine commitment to showing up consistently for at least one year.
How long does the BBBSC volunteer application process take?
The process typically takes four to six weeks from application to match, covering your application, interview, background checks, and required training. Adults who apply in January are generally matched by late winter or early spring.
