Our History
MENTOR New York has been creating, enhancing, and advocating for quality youth mentorships for over 30 years. Explore the timeline to see just some of our highlights and achievements.
1992
The Mentoring Partnership of New York (MPNY), an independent affiliate of The National Mentoring Partnership, is co-founded by philanthropists Geoffrey T. Boisi (left) and Ray Chambers (right). The organization's mission is to advocate for the expansion of quality mentoring opportunities for New York City's young people—and to be a resource for mentors and mentoring initiatives citywide. The MPNY would later become MENTOR New York.
1994
The MPNY creates Teens on the Job, a job-shadowing program that matches high school sophomores with professionals to observe a day at work.
"Of all the programs that I have spotlighted on Jobline, attempting to marry academia and the workplace, Teens on the Job is one of the most encouraging programs that I have come across." —Scott Passesser (pictured), host of the Cablevision show Jobline.
2001
In response to the September 11 terrorist attacks in New York City and Washington, D.C., the Partnership receives a $100,000 grant from the McCormick Tribune Foundation to create Mentoring 9-11.
The initiative sees 11 mentoring programs partner with schools on Long Island—serving over 400 young people—to expand the mentor pool for children affected by the attacks and offer training for mentors to support youth coping with the tragedy.
2003
The MPNY hosts the first Luke Boisi Memorial Benefit and the Mentor of the Year Awards—a night to honor mentors who go above and beyond for their mentees.
The son of MPNY co-founder Geoffrey Boisi, Luke (pictured right with brother Zach Boisi) tragically passed away at the age of 21. Luke was personally impacted by mentoring and spent the last years of his life committed to helping others through service with AmeriCorps.
Today, we continue to honor Luke's life and legacy with the Luke Boisi MENTOR of the Year Award, presented to a mentor who embodies the spirit of carrying the torch forward.
2005
The first Mentoring Matters Conference is held on Long Island. The conference convenes mentoring and youth development practitioners from across New York State to explore best and innovative practices in the field.
2009
The Partnerships work with Baldwin School District (UFSD) to create the first mentoring program within its schools. Mentoring has since impacted the lives of thousands of elementary, middle, and high school students across the district.
2014
The MPNY pilots the Success Mentors initiative in New York City, part of then-Mayor Bloomberg’s multi-agency campaign to improve school attendance and educational outcomes. Success Mentors are trained to serve as advisors, motivators, connectors, confidence-builders, and early warning systems for chronically absent students at risk of getting off track.
Pilot schools with full-year Success Mentors outperformed comparison schools and schools citywide, resulting in the adoption of the initiative on a national scale.
2016
The Mentoring Partnerships of Long Island and New York officially combine to form MENTOR New York.
2019
The organization pilots the Connect Focus Grow training curriculum as part of the National Mentoring Project.
Connect Focus Grow employs a three-pronged approach: to equip mentors with the skills necessary to support a young person’s personal and professional growth; to coach supervisors on how to manage with a mentoring mindset; and to guide young people towards engaging mentoring opportunities that help them achieve their goals.
2020
MENTOR New York kicks off National Mentoring Month by unveiling their updated brand during a bell-ringing ceremony at NASDAQ—opening trading for 2020.
The brand refresh reinforces the organization’s role in the national mentoring movement and as a collaborating Affiliate of MENTOR: The National Mentoring Partnership.
2020
Brenda is honored with four Stevie® Awards in the Government/Nonprofit field, at the 17th annual Stevie Awards for Women in Business. They include:
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Silver Stevie Award for Female Innovator of the Year
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Silver Stevie Award for Woman of the Year
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Bronze Stevie Award for Female Executive of the Year
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Bronze Stevie Award for Most Innovative Woman of the Year
2020
MENTOR New York launches its Racial Equity Framework, designed to increase racial equity and inclusion within the mentoring movement and create anti-racist spaces for young people.The framework is created by MENTOR New York with the support of Black leaders in mentoring and youth development, local Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion experts, and MENTOR: The National Mentoring Partnership.
2022
Drawing from the Racial Equity Framework, MENTOR New York launches the Amplify Equity Toolkit, a virtual resource that employs innovative approaches. The toolkit supports mentoring leaders and practitioners in seamlessly implementing turnkey practices that advance racial justice, inclusion, and equity within their programs.
2023
The Corporate Mentoring Honor Roll is created to recognize a growing network of community-minded businesses that believe in the power of mentoring and the mission of MENTOR New York.
2023
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1993
The Long Island Mentoring Partnership (MPLI) is co-founded by businessman and philanthropist James O. Boisi and banker and community activist Joan S. Brennan. Through quality mentoring programs, the organization seeks to promote economic empowerment and enfranchisement opportunities for Long Island youth.
2000
The National Mentoring Partnership and Big Brothers Big Sisters of New York City advocate for new legislation to improve program safety, resulting in the Safe Mentoring Act.
Under the new act, signed by then-Governor Pataki, mentoring programs throughout New York have the opportunity to conduct criminal background checks on prospective employees and mentors.
Today, the legislation is still the means by which programs can access criminal background checks through the New York State Division of Criminal Justice Services and the Office of Children and Family Services.
2002
Teens on the Job celebrates its 8th anniversary. On Groundhog Day, over 50 Long Island school districts and 450 businesses collaborate to make the event possible, allowing more than 1,200 tenth-grade students to learn about the world of work.
2004
Zach Boisi and Eric Vital have a vision to make a difference by tapping into the talent and energy of New York's young professionals. In 2004, they co-found the Young Professionals Advisory Board (YPAB) with the goal of enhancing the impact of mentoring initiatives across the state.
Board members are passionate advocates and fundraisers for the MPNY, committed to raising awareness of the benefits of mentorship.
2008
Following two years of collaboration, the MPLI and MPNY join forces to create the Mentoring Partnerships of Long Island and New York.
5th graders at Plaza Elementary School prepare to embark on their second year in the UFSD's mentoring program.
2014
Working with the NYC Department of Youth and Community Development (DYCD) and Young Men's Initiative, the MPNY provides expertise and mentor training for the Cornerstone Mentoring Program. The program supports youth in fifth through ninth grades during their school transitions by cultivating positive mentoring relationships and community involvement.
2015
The Mentoring Matters Conference celebrates its 10th anniversary at Long Island University.
2018
MENTOR New York expands to serve mentoring programs throughout New York State. The following year, the Mentoring Matters Conference is held in Buffalo.
2019
Brenda Jiménez is appointed CEO of MENTOR New York. Brenda leads the organization during a time of pandemic and racial unrest, expanding services to those in need while continuing to support longtime partners.
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2020
Over 140 community leaders and mentoring supporters attend the first virtual MENTOR of the Year Awards. The event honors five outstanding mentors from across New York State.
2022
The organization is recognized as the Fostering Local Field Leadership Honoree at MENTOR’s Amplify Mentoring Celebration.
2022
Corporate mentoring supporters gather on Long Island for the first annual Topgolf Challenge. The event raises funds to support MENTOR New York's work with over 1,300 mentoring and youth development organizations.
2023
MENTOR New York's Brenda Jiménez and Naomi Rodriguez team up with Stony Brook student Amelia Chicas for an interview on Island Outlook, which is broadcast across five radio stations.
During the conversation, the trio explore the unique aspects of mentoring relationships, delve into Amelia's role as a keynote facilitator at the 2023 Mentoring Matters Conference, and much more. Listen now.
MENTOR New York partners with the DYCD and the Department for the Aging to facilitate My New York Story, an intergenerational mentoring initiative.
Over 10 weeks, participants across different age groups engage in community-based projects that promote mutual understanding, empathy, and respect—enabling the transfer of valuable knowledge and experiences. The program leverages an intergenerational mentoring curriculum designed by MENTOR New York's Joie Golomb.
