Mentoring in the community

Since 1966, Big Brothers Big Sisters of Dane County has operated under the belief that inherent in every child is the ability to succeed and thrive in life. Big Brothers Big Sisters makes meaningful, monitored matches between adult volunteers (“Bigs”) and children (“Littles”), ages 6 through 18, in our Dane County community. They develop positive relationships that have a direct and lasting effect on the lives of young people. 

• AGE RANGE: 6-18 years old
• TIME COMMITMENT: 2-3 hours per outing, 3-4 times per month for 2 years.

At Boys & Girls Club of Dane County, it is their goal to lead the way in youth development programs by working together with local businesses, foundations, and community programs to produce positive outcomes for nearly 7,500 young people and their families. Affiliated with Boys & Girls Club of America, their Club is led locally by a dedicated team of professionals specializing in youth development, business management, and community outreach.

This project is a collaboration between Trained To Grow, Inc. and Big Brothers Big Sisters of Dane County. This program will help children facing adversity with strong and enduring, professionally supported one-to-one relationships that change lives for the better, forever. They have a successful evidence-based mentoring program that supports academic achievement, avoidance of risky behaviors, and positive relationships with peers and family. 

This program is hosted by Charles Hamilton Houston Institute, Inc. Dear Diary strives to recruit young girls of color who are navigating challenges in life such as school truancy, juvenile delinquency, and social/emotional trauma for group and/or individual mentoring from mentors who are women of color that reside in Dane County.

This program is a collaboration between JustDane and Operation Fresh Start, Inc. This program helps youth obtain their high school diploma, WI Driver's License and gain self-efficacy skills through group mentoring. Mentors will work with youth in high school and help assist with youth leaving high school to assist with re-orienting into the community through group mentoring.

• AGE RANGE: 17-21 years old
• TIME COMMITMENT: 1.5 hours per week for at least 1 year.

The mission of the First Tee – South Central Wisconsin is to impact the lives of young people and their families by providing educational programs for youth that build character, instill life-enhancing values and promote healthy choices through the game of golf.

• AGE RANGE: 7-10 years old
• TIME COMMITMENT: 1-10 hours per week (flexible)

Inspire helps schools, business groups, companies and community-based organizations easily connect to build the future workforce in Columbia, Dane, Dodge, Green, Iowa, Jefferson and Sauk Counties. 

There are opportunities for an individual to be a "Career Coach" to answer questions or opportunities for a business to be involved to offer career exploration/job shadowing/internships. 

• AGE RANGE:  6th - 12th Grade
• TIME COMMITMENT: 1-12 hours/month - flexible

After noticing gaps in mentoring and support for students, Intentional Mentoring participated in 10 years of research to identify aspects of a program that would better fill the community needs and support local organizations.  The outcome of this research outlined what is now Intentional Mentoring Inc.

• AGE RANGE: grades 6-8
• TIME COMMITMENT: 1+ hour weekly (in-person) with another couple of check-ins per week. 

Just Connections is comprised of three JustDane programs: Mentoring Connections, Family Connections, and Reading Connections. Mentoring Connections is designed to invest in the future of youth in Dane County who are affected by parental incarceration by matching them with a caring, adult mentor. Family Connections provides opportunities to maintain and strengthen relationships within families affected by incarceration through organizing regular monthly visits between imprisoned mothers and their children. Reading Connections offers parents whose children reside too far away for regular visits an opportunity to bond with their child and encourage their reading.

• AGE RANGE: 5-17 years old
• TIME COMMITMENT: 1-1.5 hours weekly (flexible) for at least a year. 

Kinship, Inc. is a private, nonprofit organization that believes in and promotes the concept of youth mentoring. The National Kinship office exists to serve as a resource for established and emerging local Kinship affiliates. Currently, the Kinship Affiliate Network is made up of 30+ affiliates located in the upper Midwest, having established mentoring relationships for nearly 1,800 of today’s youth. 

• AGE RANGE: Enter at 5-14 years old and stay until 18 or High School graduation (for residents of Columbia County or students in Columbia County School District only)
• TIME COMMITMENT: 1 hour per week minimum for 1 year.

Maydm provides girls and youth of color in grades 6-12 with skill-based training for the technology sector. Maydm’s holistic approach prepares students from traditionally underrepresented populations to engage in and revolutionize the tech industries.

• AGE RANGE: grades 6-12
• TIME COMMITMENT: 1 session per month.

Mentoring Positives Inc. (MP) is an innovative, referral-based mentoring program that works directly with kids and families throughout Dane County and its surrounding areas. Founded in 2004 by Will and Becky Green, Mentoring Positives offers a range of positive programs for elementary, middle, and high school-aged youth. 

• AGE RANGE: The average mentee is around 15 years old.
• TIME COMMITMENT: Weekly-Biweekly check-ins.

An Urban League of Greater Madison initiative, the mission of the Retention Advancement and Mentoring Young Professionals (R.A.M.P.) program is to ensure that African Americans and other community members have opportunities for upward mobility, professional networking and a sense of community in their careers and the Madison area.

• AGE RANGE: 20-40
• TIME COMMITMENT: 2-4 hours per month for at least 6 months.

SCORE has served as America’s premier source of FREE business mentoring and education. They provide expert mentoring and education to thousands of startup and existing businesses, just like yours. Their goal is for you to receive the help you need to be successful in your business with focused assistance in the areas of business planning, marketing, accounting and finance, and more.

• AGE RANGE: Adults
• TIME COMMITMENT: Up to 10 hours per week on an ongoing basis.

Trained To Grow, Inc.  (TTG Inc.) is an organization established for the purpose of empowering and equipping Madison’s youth to become the leaders of their generation. TTG Inc.’s mission is to give youth the support, confidence and resources to excel in every area of life. TTG Inc. focuses on developing youth intellectually, emotionally, academically and mentally.

• AGE RANGE: 14-17
• TIME COMMITMENT: At least 1 check-in per week.

Be involved with HIRE, an initiative of United Way.  A mentor can help a job seeker,  help someone with their GED test, mock interviews, resume writing or trainings. Help provide internships to help people learn about different industries.  People who are seeking a mentor or someone who wants to be a mentor can learn more below. 

Urban League of Greater Madison's mission is to ensure that African Americans and other community members are educated, employed and empowered to live well, advance professionally and contribute to the common good in the 21st Century. They accomplish this mission through a network of programs and services aimed at wrap around community support.

• AGE RANGE: 10 to 14 years old (grades 6 to 8)
• TIME COMMITMENT: One 45-60 minute session per week for at least one academic semester.

Young Life is a worldwide organization with a growing local presence in Dane County. The world of adolescence continues to be a place of great pressures to perform and socially be accepted. Their faith-based programming provides space for caring adult mentors to enter the lives of our community's teenagers from all backgrounds. Serving on the front lines, they enter into the conversations of hope, belonging and a chance to discover a purpose for their life. 

• AGE RANGE: Teens
• TIME COMMITMENT: 2-5 hours weekly during the school year.