Contact: Anneice Newkirk
Phone:  864-477-0647
Email: anewkirk@thementoringgroup.org

(Greenville, SC)  The Mentoring Group, a non-profit full service mentoring agency based in the Upstate, presents “Identifying and Overcoming Barriers to Student Learning and Success” on Thursday May 7, from 9:00 am to 1:30 pm, at Reedy Fork Missionary Baptist Church, 3115 Fork Shoals Road, Simpsonville SC, 29680.  Dr. Karen Hornsby, Assistant Professor of Philosophy at North Carolina Agricultural and Technical University (NC A&T) will deliver the keynote address.

Following Dr. Hornsby’s address there will be an interactive panel discussion and workshops. The panelist are Bobby Caples,Ed.s,(Youth Base), Kinneil Coltman, M.A.(Greenville Hospital System), Manuel Dudley MS,Ed.s (Mitchell College), Shawn Foster Ph.D (Fairforest Middle School), Linda Gallicchio MBA (Robert J. Rutland Institute for Ethics at Clemson University), O. Cyrus Hinton Esq. (Hinton Law Firm), Daniel Miller Ph.D (NC A&T) Rick Murphy BS,M.Ed (SC Personal Pathways to Success), S.T. Peden B.A. ( Minority Economic Development Institute), Denise Washington M.Ed (Girls Scouts of South Carolina Mountains to Midlands). Complete bios are available on our website www.thementoringgroup.org/news. Workshop topics are Mentoring in the 21st Century, Ethical Decision Making in and Outside of the Classroom , Pedagogical (teaching) Practices with Student Feedback and Teaching Clarity, Utilizing Community Stakeholders, "Leadership and Engagement: Bringing Organizations Together for Meaningful Change".   

Attendees for this event will be Community Activist, Representatives of Corporate America, the Faith based Community, Educators, Parents, Government, Small Business owners and anyone who is solution orientated and has a vested interest in the positive outcomes of the socio and economic future here in the upstate.  

About the Key Note Speaker; Dr. Karen Hornsby, Assistant Professor of Philosophy at North Carolina Agricultural and Technical University (A&T), a Historically Black College (HBCU) in Greensboro, NC.  Currently, Dr. Hornsby co-directs A&T’s Carnegie Academy for the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (CASTL) Institutional Leadership Program and A&T’s Wabash National Study of Liberal Arts Education assessment project.  As part of the Wabash National Study project, she co-developed and manages the Wabash/Provost Scholars initiative at North Carolina A&T. Dr. Hornsby is a 2005-2006 Carnegie Scholar and most recently presented at the International Society for the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning Conference held in Alberta, Canada.

This event will be a fundraiser for The Mentoring Group and help fund their hosting of the 2009 Youth Economic Summit (YES).  The donation for this event is $35 in advance and $50 on the day of. Continuing Education Units will be available through a collaboration with Greenville Technical College.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE - August 20, 2008

Contact: Anneice Newkirk
Phone: 864-477-0647
Email: anewkirk@thementoringgroup.org

(Greenville, SC) The Mentoring Group, a non-profit full service mentoring agency based in the Upstate, will unveil their plans to host its inaugural Youth Economic Summit (YES) at the Commerce Club, on Tuesday, August 26, 2008, 10:00 am.

This innovative event will give a voice to the concerns, hopes and dreams of our youth while they gain an understanding and appreciation of current community issues and career opportunities. The attendees will be youth ages 14 through 18 years old and represent diverse backgrounds. The youth will participate in workshops that are designed to engage them in activities that stimulate their imagination, give them tools to turn their dreams into visions while encouraging creativity.

Ms. Newkirk, Executive Director of The Mentoring Group, Inc. quotes the Lumina Foundation for education (a sponsor of YES) "The United States' future economic growth and the success of our young people depend on addressing crucial higher education challenges. Our economic vitality depends on students who acquire the skills and knowledge to compete in the global economy." We must find ways to educate more students-in a cost-effective manner-and ensure that they graduate with the ability to meet changing workforce demands." Ms. Newkirk says; Innovation, creativity technology and experience are "keys" to helping our youth go beyond dreams. According to Webster's Dictionary a dream is a "Fond Hope" and a Vision is a "mental image." The Mentoring Group believes our youth can live the dream if they can envision themselves accomplishing that dream. She further states YES will serve as a backdrop for a documentary on what it is like to be young in Greenville.

The Mentoring Group will unveil their new Virtual Mentoring website at this press conference. Several sponsors will be available for interviews.

The Mentoring Group is a non-profit 501c3 full service-mentoring agency currently managing a growing school-based mentoring program in select Greenville County Schools. The program also provides technical assistance to other organizations planning to create and maintain their own mentoring programs.

Contact: Anneice Newkirk
Phone: 864-421-0100
Email: anewkirk@thementoringgroup.org

(Greenville, SC) The Mentoring Group, a non-profit 501C3 full service mentoring agency based in the Upstate, will present a free book give away and signing at the MLK Young Dreamers Day January 21, 2008, 12:45 to 1:15 at Greenville High auditorium. The 200 copies of the book entitled ABC's of Character for People Around the World will be distribute free to the first 200 Elementary school age children who attend. Both the author Delores Mitchell - Tulloss and Brian Hardison the illustrator will be on hand to read the book and sign it. After the first 200 books they can be purchase on site at a cost of $10.99 a book.

Families and youth of Greenville County and beyond are invited to attend this event and hear the positive message of the ABC's of Character in a way that only the author and illustrator can deliver. The ABC's of Character "is designed to teach young children and anyone how to have good manners, positive behavior, respect, honesty, persistence, integrity and compassion." Delores Mitchell-Tulloss. Attendees for this event will be elementary to middle school aged children, their brothers and sisters, parents' uncles, aunts, grandparents, mentors and other caring adults.

The author Delores Mitchell-Tulloss is a graduate of North Carolina A&T with a degree in English Education. She received her Masters from the Ohio State University. As a child and family advocate, Delores' passion is to help children of all ages become the best they can be; but she has a special desire to see inner city children study hard in school and stay out of trouble. Delores is married to Charles and together they have three children. For more information please visit her web site at characterkidsbooks.com

The illustrator Brian Hardison is an "advocate for imagination". He was born in Rochester, NY but he spent his early childhood in Greenville South Carolina. During those early years in Greenville Brian displayed his love for drawing. He can still remember, and portrays in his art, some of those vibrant experiences he had as a kid. Although, his family has relocated to Alpharetta Georgia they maintain close ties with members' of the Greenville community. Brian is a graduate of the University of Georgia in Graphic Arts & Design. The ABC's of Character for People Around the World is Brian first illustrated children's book. Brian says "always follow your dreams because dreams do come true."

MLK Dream Week-end gives Greenville citizens an opportunity to honor the memory of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. while celebrating the diversity of the community in which we live. The Mentoring Group is proud to be a part of this great opportunity. For additional information on the MLK Dream Week-end and the Young Dreamers' Day please visit their web site at MLKdreamweekend.com.

Contact: Anneice Newkirk
Phone: 864-421-0100
Email: anewkirk@thementoringgroup.org

(Greenville, SC) The Mentoring Group, a non-profit full service mentoring agency based in the Upstate, will host its second annual Power Lunch on Wednesday, September 19 from 11:00 a.m.-1:00 p.m. at the Greenville Hyatt Regency. The Honorable Terry Bellamy, mayor of the city of Asheville, will deliver the keynote address. Donations of $30 per ticket will be accepted to attend the event.

Organizations in the Greenville area and beyond are invited to attend the event and see the positive impact The Mentoring Group is having on Greenville County?s youth. The Power Lunch is a first step in a journey to inspire dreams and offer positive choices for children. Youth attendees will be middle and high school students between the ages of 12 and 20 years old. Their mentors, as well as business and faith-based leaders from our community, will also attend.

The Honorable Terry M. Bellamy was elected to serve as Mayor of the City of Asheville in November 2005. Upon her inauguration, she became the youngest Mayor in North Carolina, the youngest Mayor ever elected in Asheville, and the first African-American to serve as Mayor in Asheville. Mayor Bellamy continues to share her vision for a unified community that works together to address challenges and take advantage of opportunities for the future. She is widely known for her efforts to actively engage citizens in policy decisions, and has worked as a staunch advocate for senior citizens and children. The National publication, Jet Magazine, featured Mayor Bellamy in November 2005, for her historic election to the Asheville City Council. She also was featured on the PBS History Program for being elected as the youngest Mayor in North Carolina.

To attend the second annual Power Lunch, please make checks payable to The Mentoring Group, 107 East Park Avenue, Greenville, SC 29601. Deadline for registration is September 9, 2007.

The Mentoring Group is a non-profit 501c3 full service-mentoring agency currently managing a growing school-based mentoring program in select Greenville County Schools. The program also provides technical assistance to other organizations planning to create and maintain their own mentoring programs. The Mentoring Group's focus is simple, yet effective, always striving to improve the quality of life of their participant and their communities.