Lt. Governor M. Jodi Rell announced today that Connecticut’s Department of Administrative Services (DAS) is positioned to become a national leader in a pilot mentoring program for young people with disabilities, called e-Mentoring. 

 

E-mentoring is a mentoring relationship that is conducted via e-mail.  Its goal is similar to face-to-face mentoring: to establish a trusting, positive relationship between a caring adult mentor and a young person. 

 

“E-mentoring is about communication, caring and compassion; it combines education, technology and mentoring for the benefit of young people,” Lt. Governor Rell said. “We know that solid relationships can develop when adult mentors help young people. Students often remain motivated to succeed in school when they have a mentor guiding them through education and career choices.”

 

“Right now, there are 4,000 Connecticut children on a waiting list for existing mentoring programs; e-mentoring is a groundbreaking way to reduce that number,” Lt. Governor Rell said.

 

E-mentoring breaks down communication barriers that may arise in more established mentoring programs.  For example, a young person who is hearing impaired can find it difficult to communicate with a mentor through a traditional mentoring program.  Communication through e-mail puts the e-mentor and mentee on a level playing field.

 

E-mentoring also presents a minimal time commitment on the mentor’s part.  Once a week starting this month, seven DAS e-mentors will be able to send e-mail messages to mentees from their state workstation computers.  Such messages need only take 15 minutes to write.
 Lt. Governor Rell announced the e-mentoring program during a press conference in her State Capitol office.

 

The DAS pilot program will last for four months.  Once DAS evaluates feedback about the program from mentors and mentees, e-mentoring may be expanded to other state agencies.

 

Lt. Governor Rell thanked several groups for their participation in the pilot program: 

 

• The Connecticut Mentoring Partnership, which will provide training for the mentors and provide ongoing technical assistance. 

 

• DAS for developing the software to make it possible for employees to e-mentor.

 

• The Department of Labor for assisting in the application for a federal grant that led to the creation of the e-mentoring program.

 

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                      

Contact:  Cathleen Hinsch (860) 524-7384

October 10, 2003