January is National Mentoring Month, a month that is used to recognize the importance of connecting youth with strong mentors to guarantee their prolonged success.

In honor of the occasion, here are some examples of research that proves how important having a mentor is on a youth's life.

Mentored Boys and Girls Less Likely to Display Negative Behaviors

A five-year study from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research proved that girls and boys who are mentored are less likely to display negative behaviors and emotions.

Not only that, but the study found that mentored children are far more confident in their academic abilities.

Read the full study here.

Quality Training Produces Happy, Successful Mentors

A study of 81 mentors from a mentorship program in Minnesota found that while mentors are always a good addition to a child's life, quality training can help the relationship to be mutually beneficial.

"Higher-quality training and greater confidence in mentoring abilities significantly predicted mentor satisfaction. Perceived agency support was also positively associated with mentor satisfaction. Overall, mentors reported being satisfied with their training, agency support, and having confidence in their mentoring abilities," the study found.

This study signifies that developing quality mentorship programs is just as important making sure they exist.

Read a summary of the study here.

'Everyone Who Succeeds Had a Mentor'

Mentorship is defined as a critical component to the modern-day success story. A study from the late '70s of business executives found that those who had been mentored were "happier with their career progress and derive[d] somewhat greater pleasure from their work". The Harvard Business Review article that delves into the study also includes a quote from the late Donald S. Perkins, chairman and chief executive officer of the Jewel Companies, who said,

"Everyone who succeeds has had a mentor or mentors."

Nicole Gorman, Senior Education World Contributor

1/17/2017