Syracuse, N.Y. – Stephanie Parks, the Central New York regional coordinator for the New York State Mentoring Program, will discuss the positive impact of the program on local youth during a Zoom public forum from 8 to 9 a.m. Thursday hosted by Syracuse University’s Thursday Morning Roundtable.
The New York State Mentoring Program was created in 1984 by Matilda Raffa Cuomo, the wife of Gov. Mario Cuomo, as the nation’s first statewide, one-to-one mentoring program to help prevent school dropout.
According to the program website, children who succeed despite overwhelming personal, economic and social obstacles usually do so because of a caring adult in their lives. Mentoring outcomes include greater participation in school, improved attendance, higher graduation and college admission rates, and better overall performance.
“Some of the children in our program come from large families where the one-on-one time with an adult is maybe an hour a week, and some come from families that are in environments where there’s not a positive role model, male or female,” Parks said. “Usually, this program is for the child or children that need an extra little bit of a lift and that extra little bit of a support.”
Now in its 56th season, Thursday Morning Roundtable features speakers who discuss current topics in Central New York and beyond. Following the forum, residents can use the chat function to ask questions and a moderator will conduct the Q&A session.
The New York State Mentoring Program with CNY regional coordinator Stephanie Parks hosted by Syracuse University’s Thursday Morning Roundtable.
8-9 a.m. Thursday, Nov. 18.
Watch: To watch and participate in the forum through a Zoom webinar, please register in advance (after registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the forum).
Past TMR Recordings: To watch past TMR Zoom public forums, visit the Syracuse University Office of Community Engagement webpage.
Next Week: TMR is off for Thanksgiving. The Dec. 2 TMR will feature the Center on Disability and Inclusion at Syracuse University.
Thursday Morning Roundtable (TMR) is sponsored by Syracuse University’s Office of Community Engagement. TMR brings together a mix of citizens representing business, nonprofit, educational, and government organizations to examine community issues. Since its inception in 1965, more than 1,600 programs have been delivered to TMR audiences. Listen to past TMR presentations through WCNY.
