The Mentoring Partnership of Long Island Celebrates 10th Annual Mentoring Matters Conference

HAUPPAUGE, N.Y. - March 21, 2014 - PRLog -- The Mentoring Partnership of Long Island (MPLI), the leading organization for providing quality mentoring opportunities for Long Island’s youth, held its 10th Annual Mentoring Matters Conference, Presented by AT&T, on March 13-14, 2014 at the LIU Post campus in Brookville.  MPLI partner, and Mentoring Matters Conference Title Sponsor, AT&T, kicked off the two-day conference with a $20,000 check presented to MPLI, along with key elected officials, and LIU Post representatives in support of youth mentoring programs.

The Mentoring Matters Conference two-day conference brought together participants and advocates from Long Island’s youth mentoring community, who participated in educational sessions and workshops designed to further their involvement in mentoring programs.  The conference included a Professional Development Day for mentors and advocates and a Youth Day for middle and high school mentees and peer mentors.

“Each year, hundreds of mentees and mentors attend the Mentoring Matters Conference to learn and be inspired about the peer mentoring process and deepen their understanding of the unique role mentoring plays in a youth’s life,” says Jean Lahage Cohen, Executive Director, The Mentoring Partnership of Long Island.  “We are very thankful to AT&T for their continued support of our mission and for helping make this conference possible.  We are also equally grateful to LIU Post for their generous donation of their campus for the past 10 years.”

AT&T’s title sponsorship of the annual Mentoring Matters Conference comes on the heels of its recently announced partnership with MPLI on the February, 2014 opening of the AT&T / MPLI Regional Training Room in Huntington.  At the training facility, MPLI offers Mentoring Academy classes and workshops in the AT&T regional facility.   AT&T is an advocate for youth mentoring through its national ASPIRE program that is committed to investing $350 million in youth education.

“AT&T is committed to supporting our nation’s youth through its national ASPIRE program and by forming strong partnerships with local programs throughout the country, including the Mentoring Partnership of Long Island,” said Marissa Shorenstein, New York State president, AT&T. “We are proud to extend our partnership with MPLI to include supporting its annual educational conference – a vital program in the Long Island community.”

Cohen, Executive Director, The Mentoring Partnership of Long Island continued, “The value of mentoring is priceless.  Children who have a caring and involved mentor in their life, whether it be a parent, a peer or a caring volunteer, are more likely to be succeed in school and be equipped to avoid the negative peer pressures that confront them on a daily basis.  Without the collaborative efforts of our partners like AT&T and LIU Post, our programming would not be possible.”

About the role Long Island University has played in the conference, President Kimberly Cline said, “LIU has been proud to partner with MPLI for the past decade on the shared goal of increasing the number and quality of mentoring opportunities for students at all levels. More than just hosting this annual conference here on our Brookville campus, we support the mission of MPLI applaud its success in making a difference in so many young lives here on Long Island.”

MPLI was founded in 1993 as a non-for-profit whose mission is to bring caring adults together with children in need through safe, effective mentoring programs. Today, MPLI conducts approximately 100 separate training seminars each year and trains approximately 1,250 new mentors annually.  The organization creates approximately 25 new programs each year and supports approximately 200 existing programs serving 7,500 young people across Long Island.

For more information, visit their website at www.mentorkids.org.

PHOTO CAPTION
The Mentoring Partnership of Long Island (MPLI), the leading organization for providing quality mentoring opportunities for Long Island’s youth, held its 10th Annual Mentoring Matters Conference this month at the LIU Post campus in Brookville, NY.  The Conference, which included Professional Development Day and Youth Day educational workshops for middle- to high-school students in interaction with mentors, was made possible through the generosity of AT&T’s Title Sponsorship of $20,000 and the donation of space by LIU Post.  The Conference was kicked off with the AT&T check presentation.  Pictured (l to r ):  MPLI Director of Development Marcos Maldonado; AT&T External Relations Brandon Ray; Bethpage Federal Credit Union SVP of Corporate Development and MPLI Board member Linda Armyn; MPLI Director of Programs and Training Franca Floro; MPLI Executive Director Jean Lahage Cohen; LIU / POST Director of Admissions Angela Delcid.