AT&T Aspire Mentoring Academy provides nearly 105,000 hours of mentoring to over 10,500 students in Georgia.
 
In less than four years, AT&T employees provided students with one million hours of mentoring, here in Georgia and across the globe.

Employee mentors participate in AT&T’s Aspire Mentoring Academy, which was launched in the fall of 2012 with the objective of providing 1 million hours of mentoring to students by its employees before the end of 2016.

Reaching this milestone nearly one year early is a testament to the commitment and enthusiasm of AT&T employees. As mentors, employees connect with students to help them discover their passions and potential. The experience has a positive impact on both the adults and students.

In Georgia, AT&T employees are connected with best-in-class nonprofits that support students who will benefit the most from mentoring. Since the launch of Aspire Mentoring Academy in the fall of 2012, over 10,500 students were provided 105,000 mentoring hours in Georgia, ranking the Peach state third nationally behind only Texas and California.

“Our students represent the future of this country, and our corporate, civic and social responsibility is to prepare the next wave of professionals for success in school and the workplace, said AT&T Georgia President William Leahy. “The nearly 106,000 hours of mentoring time our Georgia employees provided represents over 10 percent of the national total - ranking our state in the top three nationally, and I am incredibly proud of their dedication and commitment to our youth.”

A caring adult is a key factor in helping ensure a student graduates from high school. Student success in school and beyond is a primary focus of AT&T Aspire, the company’s signature philanthropic initiative. One in 3 young people do not have a mentor when growing up, according to recent researchcommissioned by MENTOR: The National Mentoring Partnership and supported by AT&T. The 1 million hour milestone is just the beginning of AT&T’s efforts to close this gap. The next phase of Aspire Mentoring Academy will use the power of technology to connect with even more students in more places around the world.

“A mentor is a critical asset in helping a young person achieve success and one that drives expanded support and opportunity. AT&T employees bring us closer to that goal with Aspire Mentoring Academy,” said David Shapiro, CEO, MENTOR: The National Mentoring Partnership.

“One million mentoring hours is a major accomplishment. It helps us close the mentoring gap and equip more young people with the skills and confidence they need to be successful. We are excited to work with AT&T to expand their reach to even more students by supporting employees and leveraging innovation and collaboration in the mentoring field.”