Get Involved
Explore Grants
Grants provided by the Handshake Foundation will be given for college and or university courses, vocational and continuing education, exchange-student programs, educational materials, supplies and projects.
Become a Mentee
Our program is based on The National Mentoring Partnership guidelines and resources to elevate our program to be effective and leading edge in support of our mission of helping kids get a practical real world view.
Become a Mentor
Are you an industry expert, educator, or have something else to offer youth to encourage their success in both school and future workplaces? We invite you to consider being a mentor or a speaker in our youth mentoring programs.
Partner with Us
Is your organization in line with ours, or do you have an opportunity we can offer our students? We’d love to discuss a partnership that helps promote a practical real world view to students, and helps them succeed in school and beyond.
Donate
The Handshake Foundation relies on donations for in-need students, as well as grants and corporate sponsors to sustain our programs and advance youth education.
Our funds go toward our established career advancement programs and our new programs in development. In addition, funds raised go to our educational scholarship for high school students and grant fund to support the on-going education of our applicants.
Your contribution today will help build a better tomorrow.
Benefits of Mentoring
The number of ways mentoring can help a youth are as varied as the people involved in each program. While the lists and statistics can be impressive, personal stories can be even more impressive. It is clear that, youth who participate in mentoring relationships experience a number of positive benefits:
Personal Benefits
- Taking part in mentoring promotes positive social attitudes and relationships. Mentored youth tend to trust their parents more and communicate better with them.
- Youth who meet regularly with their mentors are 46% less likely than their peers to start using illegal drugs and 27% less likely to start drinking (Public/Private Ventures study of Big Brothers Big Sisters).
- Mentors teach young people how to relate well to all kinds of people and help them strengthen communication skills.
Professional Benefits
- Mentored youth have better school attendance; a better chance of going on to higher education; and better attitudes toward school.
- Mentors help young people set career goals and start taking steps to realize them.
- Mentors can use their personal contacts to help young people meet industry professionals, find internships and locate job possibilities.
- Mentors introduce young people to professional resources and organizations they may not know.
- Mentors can help their mentees learn how to seek and keep jobs.