About
Over 19 years ago, some young women formed a small group for teenage girls out of their East Oakland living room. Their hope was to create a safe place for these girls to grow into active, engaged leaders in their community.
From that original “girls group,” Urban Mentors was born. Eventually growing to support young men and women, then expanding to include elementary school youth. In 2009, we officially chose the name Urban Mentors Network to reflect the program’s growth as well as its three goals:
From that original “girls group,” Urban Mentors was born. Eventually growing to support young men and women, then expanding to include elementary school youth. In 2009, we officially chose the name Urban Mentors Network to reflect the program’s growth as well as its three goals:
- To provide consistent, long-term, faith-inspired mentoring through small groups and one-on-one interactions.
- To empower youth and families to create positive change in their communities through leadership and service.
- To increase the network of positive adults and resources to which our youth have access.
Who we serve
Most of Urban Mentors’ youth live in the neighborhoods of East Oakland. Our recruitment has always been organic – neighbors and friends inviting one another – and as such, our youth come from many different schools, families, and various cultural or faith backgrounds. We serve youth from Kindergarten through graduation, and even into college. We strongly believe that everyone belongs at Urban Mentors and we work to create an empowering community where everyone can proudly share their gifts and unique perspectives.
On average, we provide ongoing mentoring to 40-50 youth while providing additional support and positive community events for many additional families. Some of our events attract upwards of 100 families.
On average, we provide ongoing mentoring to 40-50 youth while providing additional support and positive community events for many additional families. Some of our events attract upwards of 100 families.