Testify At Congressional

WENATCHEE SCHOOL DISTRICT AND CONFLUENCE HEALTH TO TESTIFY AT CONGRESSIONAL BRIEFING ON BUSINESS MENTORSHIP PROGRAM

A mentoring public-private partnership between Wenatchee School District and Confluence Health will be highlighted during a Congressional Briefing in Washington D.C. on Thursday, November 2 at 8:40 A.M. Pacific.
MENTOR: The National Mentoring Partnership is hosting the briefing on “The Business Case for Employer Engagement in Youth Mentoring.” This briefing will highlight the business case for youth mentoring, explore the diverse mentoring initiatives that businesses are supporting across the nation, and provide insight into how private and public investments can support youth, communities and our workforce.

In the United States, 1 in 3 young people are growing up without a mentor to help them thrive and develop into engaged adults. Employers are increasingly playing a critical role in closing the mentoring gap and strategically leveraging their unique human and financial capital to develop, enhance and scale youth mentoring initiatives aligned with their goals. Many companies are also leveraging their brands to elevate the call for individuals to step up as mentors for youth. These initiatives dramatically increase the supports and opportunities for young people and ensure future generations are prepared for the 21st century workforce.

The Confluence Health High School Mentor Program was tapped by MENTOR to attend the hearing and serve as an example of an effective employer-driven program that aims to support and develop a talent pipeline through mentorship. The Confluence Health High School Mentor Program provides an extended observation experience for high school students interested in pursuing a career in healthcare. High school mentees, apply, interview and are paired up with a Confluence Health employee mentor and spend up to 10 hours in a healthcare setting.
Created in 2001, the Confluence Health High School Mentor Program has grown from serving just five students per year to over 30. It has also expanded the program to rural Confluence Health clinics around North Central Washington. The current cohort of mentors and mentees will begin the program in November of this year.

Dennis Conger Career & Technical Education Director for Wenatchee School District,and Casey Vogt, Student Services Coordinator for Confluence Health, will testify at the briefing and will share insight with congressional leaders on the nature of this successful employer-driven career connected learning mentor program. Conger and Voyt will cover how and why the public-private partnership between Confluence Health and Wenatchee School District began, as well as the challenges unique to creating mentorship opportunities in rural communities.
The development of citizen- student mentorship and business-education partnerships are key components to Wenatchee School District’s Wenatchee Learns vision of personalized learning.