Seventeen mentoring programs to receive state support
Sebelius, Snyder announce grants to local mentoring efforts

The goal of Kansas Mentors is to expand local mentoring opportunities.  To further that mission, $190,000 in grants are being awarded to 17 mentoring programs around the state. 

Governor Kathleen Sebelius and Coach Bill Snyder announced the grants today.

“When Coach Snyder and I launched Kansas Mentors, the purpose was to provide all Kansas children mentoring opportunities. This additional support for local mentoring efforts will give more young Kansans access to positive mentoring relationships,” Sebelius said.

Coach Snyder, who leads Kansas Mentors, said, “We received 34 applications requesting more than $600,000, which illustrates the tremendous need for mentoring in our state.  I’d like to thank our leadership council for making sure the limited funds we had were directed to serve the most children possible.”

The Kansas Mentors Leadership Council, composed of public and private executives from across the state, was responsible for determining which grants to fund.  Previously this year, the council authorized funds for a statewide needs assessment, a mentoring conference, and regional training sessions to be held this spring and summer.

Already this year, Governor Sebelius dedicated more than $600,000 in federal funds to local mentoring programs.  These state grants were targeted specifically for programs wanting to expand their services in to communities without mentoring services, or for established programs trying to serve additional Kansans.

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