National Mentoring Month: Everyone Wins with Mentoring

By: France-Elvie Banda
Thursday, January 13, 2022

On January 10, 2002, the Harvard Mentoring Project (HMP), led by the Harvard School of Public Health, launched National Mentoring Month. The celebration of this month is rooted in a call for inclusion, with the primary goal being recruitment of volunteer mentors for children from underprivileged backgrounds. The original campaign slogan asks, "Who mentored you?” and the call to action encourages individuals to “Thank them . . . and pass it on.”

For 20 years, National Mentoring Month has reminded us of mentoring’s positive and far-reaching impact. According to McCarthy Mentoring, about 89 percent of mentees will go on to mentor others. This month, we encourage individuals to seek out mentoring opportunities and make a difference.

In alignment with 2022’s theme, “Everyone Wins with Mentoring,” FASEB’s Reverse Mentoring program will promote growth and learning opportunities for both mentors and mentees. The program will pair a person in a senior-level position with junior-level mentors to gain different perspectives of individual, group, and broader cultural views within the workplace and the scientific research communities. In addition, FASEB is committed to promoting psychological safety across the Federation and its member societies by enhancing leadership, conflict management, and coaching skills of mentors and mentees. Reverse mentoring creates an environment that fosters acceptance of diverse perspectives. If you, or anyone you know, would be interested in participating in our Reverse Mentoring program, please contact DEAI Program Manager Debra Bouyer and DEAI Program Coordinator France-Elvie Banda.

Stay connected to FASEB on LinkedIn and Twitter as we celebrate National Mentoring Month through the experiences of our members. Our highlighted feature stories will share the unique perspectives of the importance of mentoring in biomedical research community.