AT&T employees mentor 1 million hours, surpassing goal
January 13, 2016
In less than 4 years, AT&T* employees provided students with 1 million hours of mentoring, here in South Carolina and across the globe. Employee mentors participate in AT&T’s Aspire Mentoring Academy, which was launched in the fall of 2012 with the objective of providing 1 million hours of mentoring to students by its employees before the end of 2016.
Reaching this milestone nearly 1 year early is a testament to the commitment and enthusiasm of AT&T employees. As mentors, employees connect with students to help them discover their passions and potential. The experience has a positive impact on both the adults and students.
“Pouring time and energy into the life of a student creates a bond and an experience that empowers them for the future,” said Pamela Lackey, President, AT&T South Carolina. “I am incredibly proud of AT&T’s employees across the state for their dedication to making a lasting difference in the lives of for young people.”
In South Carolina, AT&T employees are connected with best-in-class nonprofits that support students who will benefit the most from mentoring. Since the launch of Aspire Mentoring Academy in the fall of 2012, 1,305 students were provided 6,177 mentoring hours in SouthCarolina.
“Early in my life I was blessed to have mentors along the way to guide me and this continued in my early career at AT&T,” said Rodney McClure, a Center Sales Manager in Columbia. “Looking back on my mentors excites me about helping local kids today through our job shadow program. Bringing the students into our call center and letting them see what it’s like and be hands on and then discussing all the opportunities available to them when they graduate really gets them excited! It gives me a chance to tell them what’s important and teach them some soft skills that will help them when interacting with others in the job market today.”
Watch here for stories of how this experience impacted the lives of both students and mentors for the better.
A caring adult is a key factor in helping ensure a student graduates from high school. Student success in school and beyond is a primary focus of AT&T Aspire, the company’s signature philanthropic initiative. One in 3 young people do not have a mentor when growing up, according to recent research commissioned by MENTOR: The National Mentoring Partnership and supported by AT&T. The 1 million hour milestone is just the beginning of AT&T’s efforts to close this gap. The next phase of Aspire Mentoring Academy will use the power of technology to connect with even more students in more places around the world.
“A mentor is a critical asset in helping a young person achieve success and one that drives expanded support and opportunity. AT&T employees bring us closer to that goal with Aspire Mentoring Academy,” said David Shapiro, CEO, MENTOR: The National Mentoring Partnership. “One million mentoring hours is a major accomplishment. It helps us close the mentoring gap and equip more young people with the skills and confidence they need to be successful. We are excited to work with AT&T to expand their reach to even more students by supporting employees and leveraging innovation and collaboration in the mentoring field.”
AT&T is teaming up with innovative organizations, such as Nepris, iCouldBe and We Teach Science that use technology to provide mentorship opportunities. These organizations will help connect more students and mentors for whom in-person mentoring is not possible.
About Philanthropy & Social Innovation at AT&T
AT&T Inc. is committed to advancing education, strengthening communities and improving lives. Through its community initiatives, AT&T has a long history of investing in projects that create learning opportunities; promote academic and economic achievement; or address community needs. AT&T Aspire is AT&T’s signature philanthropic initiative that drives innovation in education by bringing diverse resources to bear on the issue including funding, technology, employee volunteerism, and mentoring. Through Aspire, we’ve passed the $250 million mark on our plan to invest $350 million in education from 2008-2017.
