Staff from Friends of the Children – National and several chapters joined mentors and leaders from across the country at MENTOR’s National Mentoring Summit in Washington, DC in early February. It was an incredible few days of learning, connecting, and sharing innovative approaches to celebrate and strengthen youth mentoring at a national level.

Our team led two workshops with the field. Miles Allen, Director, Duncan & Cindy Campbell National Center of Excellence, alongside partners from iRT, presented on “Using Design Thinking to Create Impactful Mentor Training to Promote Teen Mentee Academic Success.” The session highlighted how Friends of the Children’s professional mentoring model and ongoing professional development are evolving to better support youth in their academic journeys through research-backed, innovative training strategies to motivate teens and respond to what drives adolescent behavior to deepen engagement.

Chief Officer of Performance and Quality Management Carmi Brown led “Mentoring that Listens: Feedback Loops to Center Youth Voice and Individual Growth,” engaging participants in how feedback loops and disaggregated data can strengthen program quality. Videos from Friends of the Children youth shared honest perspectives on what’s working, what’s challenging, and how mentoring programs can continue to grow.

"The MENTOR Summit was such a powerful opportunity to be inspired by the difference mentoring can make in a child's life," says Carmi Brown, Chief Officer of Performance and Quality Management at Friends of the Children - National. "I learned so much from colleagues across the country and also shared how feedback from youth informs our work at Friends of the Children every day."

We were also proud to share that the National Mentoring Summit celebrated longtime Friends of the Children ambassador Simone Biles, who received MENTOR’s 2026 Excellence in Mentoring Award for Public Elevation for her national advocacy for youth mentoring. Simone continues to use her platform to champion the power of consistent, caring relationships so more youth can dream big and reach their full potential. Watch her acceptance speech here.

Staff from Klamath, Charlotte, and Tacoma chapters participated in the Summit, and National staff connected with leading mentoring researchers to strengthen partnerships that advance our work. Together, we’re building a future where every child who needs a Friend has one. In addition, partners showcased Riza, a new strength-based app for mentoring relationships developed with input from Friends of the Children mentors and piloted in several chapters, reflecting our shared commitment to innovation and connection. Finally, Chief Officer of Research and Quality Dr. Susan Walsh joined nationally recognized mentoring researchers for a collaborative dinner to deepen research partnerships and to celebrate advancing the field of youth mentoring.

Thank you to MENTOR and to all Friends of the Children – National staff and chapter leaders for representing us at the National Mentoring Summit and sharing the incredible work happening across our national network to impact generational change one child at a time. Together, we are building a future where every child who needs a Friend has one.