Horowitz: President Obama and Stephen Curry Recruit Mentors
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Tuesday, April 19, 2016
Rob Horowitz, MINDSETTER™
Aptly timed for the beginning of the NBA playoffs, President Obama and Golden State Warriors Superstar Stephen Curry team up to recruit mentors in a funny short video released last week, featuring the President showing the best shooter in the NBA how to shoot, and Curry schooling the President in science. The recruitment video highlights My Brother’s Keeper, the President’s own mentoring program aimed at boys and young men of color ,as well as encourages people to participate in other mentoring programs in their own community.
The video connects people to www.mentor.gov, in which all you need to do is put in your zip code and the background and contact information for mentoring programs in your community are provided. Among the options listed for the Providence area, for example, are Youth Build Providence, and Big Brothers/Big Sisters. The video can also be viewed on the site.
Too many of our young people face the double whammy of growing up in difficult family situations and not having a mentor--a trusted adult outside the family who they can rely on for “advice and guidance”. Today, 1-in-3 American young people between the ages of 8 and 18 --16 million young people all together—‘are growing up without a mentor, according to United We Serve, the President’s volunteer service initiative. More than half of these young people face the kind of tough day-to-day challenges that put them at risk of dropping out of school and generally failing to stay on track towards a productive adulthood.
The good news, however, is, mentoring can make a big positive difference in the lives of all youth—with even larger dividends for at risk youth. Students who meet regularly with their mentors are 52% less likely than their peers to skip school and 46% less likely to start using illegal drugs. And research shows that meeting regularly with a mentor, “reduces depressive symptoms and increases social acceptance, academic attitude and grades. For at risk youth, mentoring significantly boosts aspirations to enroll in and to graduate from college.
In describing the goals of My Brothers Keeper when he launched it more than two years ago, President Obama outlined goals that are applicable to mentoring programs across the board:, “And that’s what “My Brother’s Keeper” is all about -- helping more of our young people stay on track; providing the support they need to think more broadly about their future; building on what works, when it works, in those critical life-changing moments,” said the President.
The President eloquently summed up the timeless values that underlie mentoring this way; “… recognizing that “my neighbor’s child is my child” -- that each of us has an obligation to give every child the same chance this country gave so many of us."
That it is why it is critical that we recruit thousands of new mentors. That is why I am hoping for a truly great response to the clever Obama/Curry video.
Rob Horowitz is a strategic and communications consultant who provides general consulting, public relations, direct mail services and polling for national and state issue organizations, various non-profits and elected officials and candidates. He is an Adjunct Professor of Political Science at the University of Rhode Island
Related Slideshow: 16 Questions for President Obama
With the announcement that President Barack Obama will be giving the commencement address at Worcester Technical High School's graduation in June, GoLocal asked elected officials and community leaders in Worcester if they had the opportunity to ask the President one question -- what would it be, and why?
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Tim Murray
"Mr. President, you're here to highlight a successful vocational tech high school -- what can you do as President to lead to more voc-tech opportunities for students across the country, and help bring the resources to help make that happen?"
Why: "As Lieutenant Governor, I focused on these issues. Oftentimes, vocational schools are overlooked. I visited all 64 of the schools, and was able to convince the Governor to reestablish an Associate Commissioner position for vocational tech and workforce development. It's an important issue to me."
Tim Murray, Greater Worcester Chamber of Commerce President
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Tom Finneran
"Mr. President, Democratic and Republican Senators and Congressman describe you as aloof and dis-engaged, more interested in "The View" than in their views. Are you aloof and disengaged?
Why: "The reason for the question is to challenge the President to become more engaged with the legislative branch. If he did so, he could forestall his inevitable slide toward lame-duck status."
Tom Finneran, Former Massachusetts Speaker of the House of Representatives
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Jim McGovern
“I would ask the President how we can work as a community and a nation to replicate the success of Worcester Technical High School across our region, our state, and the country."
Congressman Jim McGovern
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Tim McGourthy
“What is the role of the Federal government in building an educated citizenry?”
Why: "As states and school districts debate the adoption of national standards in K-12 education, the responsibilities, resources, and powers of the Federal government in the field of education have been challenged. While restricted from direct involvement in student curriculum since the 1960s, the Federal government includes a U.S. Department of Education and plays a critical role in coordinating and funding educational policy. In the President of the United States’ view, what are, and what should be, the limits of Federal jurisdiction in public education?"
Tim McGourthy, Greater Worcester Research Bureau Executive Director
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Chris Pinto
"Ask him why he is allowing the EPA to destroy the upper blackstone economy with ridiculous fines. He should reign them in, as they are behaving like jackbooted thugs."
Chris Pinto, Worcester Republican City Committee
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Tony Economou
"I don't have an ask, it's more of a statement, and it goes towards creating policy for our public schools. If the President is asking cities and states having to do whatever to conform to education standards, see how it will be funded first, then create policy. I would broach that respectfully."
Tony Economou, Worcester City Councilor
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Morris Bergman
"I would ask the President why there is no effort being made to look into the skyrocketing cost of private colleges and the lack of commensurate financial aid, particularly for the middle class."
Morris Bergman, Worcester City Councilor
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Gary Rosen
"What actions can the President take to restore the reputation and respect that the USA once commanded across the world?"
Gary Rosen, Worcester City Councilor
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Kate Toomey
"I would ask why he isn't doing more to create jobs."
Kate Toomey, Worcester City Councilor
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Michael Graham
“Dear Mr. President, which of your foreign policy successes makes you most proud?”
Why: "Do you really have to ask?"
Michael Graham, New England Talk Network
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John Giangregorio
"I would ask what he's doing about the economy, and jobs, especially for our inner city youth."
Why: "I don't think the unemployment numbers are a true reflection of what's going on. There's not a lot of opportunity. People are giving up."
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Paul Giorgio
"I would ask him the same question I asked President Clinton, which is -- can you change the height and weight charts so that I can be "thin"?
Why: "Everyone would be asking super serious questions, I'm sure."
Paul Giorgio, President of Pagio, Inc.
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Carol Claros
"I would want to ask him why is he supporting Common Core and National standards, doesn't he think the local school boards know whats best for our children and their schools?"
Why: "As a single mom whose daughter is enrolled in WPS, I am very concerned about common core and the deviation from local control into federal hands."
Carol Claros, Nurse, Former Republican Candidate for State Representative
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Jordan Berg Powers
"Why are your pushing the same failed education policies of the Bush Administration with a focus on privatization and meaningless bubble tests instead of focusing on the skills that will enable our kids to create their job of the future?"
Why: "Worcester Tech is both the best and worst parts of our education system. It shows that providing quality education is not rocket science, schools need to be well resourced, they need to be fun, relevant to what the kids themselves believe will be their future plans. And Worcester Tech is an elitist institution that fails the promise of universal quality public education that should be available to all."
Jordan Berg Powers, Worcester activist
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David Le Boeuf
"After you leave the White House, what is the primary issue that you will continue to advocate for?""
David Le Boeuf, Initiative for Engaged Citizenship, Democratic State Committee member
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Victoria Waterman
The Girls' Inc CEO, one of GoLocal's "14 to Watch in 2014," opted to let girls in the program ask their own quetions instead. Here is what Waterman reported for what they wanted to know:
Why is the United States in so much debt?
Do you ever wake up scared that something will happen to your family because you’re the President of the USA?
Why are you sending troops across the sea if it has nothing to do with us or is going to affect our country?
Why are people in debt and what will you do to help them?
What is your life like? Is it fun? Is it tiring?
Is being a president stressful?
Who inspired you to be what you are now?
What inspired you to be the president of the United States?
What middle school did you go to?
What do you like to do in the White House?
How do you sleep at night with everything you have to worry about?
Why did you run for President?
Do you like classical music?
Who do you want your pastry chef to be?
Can you convince my mom to give me an Ipod or a Pandora bracelet?
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