--- title: January is National Mentoring Month! description: January is National Mentoring Month, and we want to thank all of our dedicated FIRST mentors and coaches!  image: https://community.firstinspires.org/hubfs/FIRST-ThankYou-Graphics_Facebook-volunteer-thankyou.jpg --- *FIRST*® mentors and coaches are building tomorrow by volunteering their time, sharing their knowledge, and guiding students throughout the season. They are impacting 660,000 students and 79,000 teams around the globe and are a key ingredient in the success of *FIRST**.*  January is National Mentoring Month, and we want to thank all of our dedicated *FIRST* mentors and coaches!  The National Mentoring Partnership cites research confirming that youth who have a mentor have better school attendance, are more likely to go on to higher education, have better attitudes toward school, are less likely to start using illegal drugs or start drinking, and are more likely to go on to mentor others in the future. See more exciting statistics and stories about the impact and positive effects of mentoring at [their website here](https://www.mentoring.org/why-mentoring/mentoring-impact/?utm_source=SumoMe&utm_medium=SmartBar#1442263051104-6ca77555-c66a1be4-a01f).  We appreciate the impact our *FIRST* mentors and coaches have on *FIRST* youth. Reach out and thank your mentor this #MentoringMonth. Share your mentor story with us! Do you have a mentor who is changing your life? Have you made a difference in a young person’s life as a mentor? [Join the conversation](https://twitter.com/hashtag/yourFIRSTstory?src=hash) or [send us an email](mailto:volunteer@firstinspires.org) and tell us how you **#****BUILDTHEMUP** or how a mentor impacted you.  Thinking about mentoring a *FIRST* team? [Learn more here!](https://www.firstinspires.org/ways-to-help/volunteer/mentors-and-coaches)  ** [Volunteers](https://community.firstinspires.org/topic/volunteers) #### Share it: [** ](https://www.facebook.com/sharer/sharer.php?u=https://community.firstinspires.org/january-is-national-mentoring-month) [** ](https://twitter.com/share?url=https://community.firstinspires.org/january-is-national-mentoring-month) [** ](http://www.linkedin.com/shareArticle?mini=true&url=https://community.firstinspires.org/january-is-national-mentoring-month) ![Default Author Image](https://community.firstinspires.org/hubfs/Community%20Blog%20v2/images/FIRST-author-icon.svg) Author [FIRST Staff](https://community.firstinspires.org/author/first) These blog posts have been contributed by members of *FIRST* staff. *FIRST* is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization headquartered in Manchester, N.H. ### Related Posts ** [Volunteers](https://community.firstinspires.org/topic/volunteers) Celebrating FIRST Mentors During Mentoring Month (January 2023) January 10, 2023 ** [Volunteers](https://community.firstinspires.org/topic/volunteers), [FTC](https://community.firstinspires.org/topic/ftc), [FLL](https://community.firstinspires.org/topic/fll), [FRC](https://community.firstinspires.org/topic/frc) Announcing New Mentor Training, Team Connectivity, & More October 2, 2025 ** [Volunteers](https://community.firstinspires.org/topic/volunteers), [Featured](https://community.firstinspires.org/topic/featured), [Team Stories](https://community.firstinspires.org/topic/team-stories), [Mentor Stories](https://community.firstinspires.org/topic/mentor-stories) 10 Ways to Appreciate Your Mentors During Mentoring Month January 2, 2026 ![](https://www.facebook.com/tr?id=1200203950045814&ev=PageView&noscript=1) ![](https://ct.pinterest.com/v3/?tid=2615041699514&noscript=1) ![](https://ct.pinterest.com/v3/?tid=2615041699514&event=PageVisit&noscript=1)