While January was observed across the country as National Mentoring Month, opportunities to make a difference in a child’s life exist throughout the year, including here in Columbia.

We invite you to become a mentor to a Richland 1 student. The many benefits of mentoring include improved school attendance and academic performance, improved family and peer relationships and reduced involvement in risky behaviors. Our mentors often say that the bond they build with their mentees is just as rewarding for them as it is for the students.

Please go to richlandone.org and select “Volunteer and Mentoring Programs” under the Departments tab to learn more about our mentoring opportunities. If school-based mentoring isn’t the best fit for you, please visit Columbia Mayor Steve Benjamin’s new mentoring webpage (columbiasc.net/mentor) for information about other local opportunities.

Katy Watkins

Volunteer and Mentoring

Programs Coordinator

Richland District 1

Columbia