July 27, 2002

TO: Faculty and Staff

FROM: Edward D. Miller, M.D.
Ronald R. Peterson

SUBJECT: Johns Hopkins Medicine Youth Mentoring Program - BOND TO BOND

In May of 1999, we announced the launching of an exciting collaborative effort in our community. Johns Hopkins Medicine, in partnership with Dunbar and the Institute of Notre Dame High Schools, and Tench Tilghman Elementary School, began a Career Development Youth Mentoring Program called B.O.N.D. to B.O.N.D., or Building Our Neighborhood Dreams Beyond Our Neighbors Doors.

Mentoring continues to be a very popular outreach initiative. An abundance of research supports the efficacy of mentoring relationships. Now individuals and organizations are becoming more involved with mentoring activities to help young people expand their frontiers of opportunity.

The Johns Hopkins family has been involved in youth mentoring since 1991. We know how to do it and we have had success. Our B.O.N.D. to B.O.N.D. program is an extension of our earlier youth mentoring efforts-- Project RAISE--and is a part of a larger network of hospitals (The Hospital Youth Mentoring Program Network--HYMP) across the country involved in mentoring youth. Based on its central role in the Hospital Youth Mentoring Program, Johns Hopkins has become an acknowledged leader in the area of mentoring. In fact, the Council of Teaching Hospitals (COTH) has formally endorsed this program as a model for academic teaching hospitals across the country. For more information on the HYMP Network, you can access our website www.mentor.jhmi.edu

B.O.N.D. to B.O.N.D is now recruiting new mentors for the start of its fourth year of operation. The program has been well received by faculty and staff who have volunteered to participate. It is a cost effective, high impact community service outreach effort, and we ask for your support. Health care faces critical labor shortages in various occupations, especially nursing and the allied health areas. Giving your time and talents to help educate a youth about career choices in health care will help us address our future workforce needs, as well as providing viable career options for our youth.

We again urge you to volunteer to participate and sign up to become a mentor. The rewards are great!

For more information about this exciting program, please call the Human Resources Office of Community and Education Projects at 955-1488.