History

In 1987 a statewide, non-partisan committee chaired by Matilda Raffa Cuomo, then First Lady of New York, established the New York State Mentoring Program.  This initiative was developed in response to New York's alarming school drop out rates and teenage pregnancy. The program grew successfully from 1987 to 1995 and laid the groundwork for what would one day become Mentoring USA. Volunteer mentors were trained, screened, and matched with children in New York Schools, and similar to today's Mentoring USA programs, mentoring occurred on-site at the respective schools.  In 1995 Mentoring USA became a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. Since its inception, Mentoring USA has provided mentors for more than 5,000 children.