For over two decades, MENTOR Washington has been at the forefront of fostering meaningful connections that change lives. Our commitment has supported a beautifully diverse community of youth across Washington State, guiding them through challenges and opportunities alike.

Simply put, we believe that young people don't stand a chance of being happy and healthy unless the adults around them are equipped and ready to support them in meaningful ways.

Youth We Impact:

• 51% of youth in Washington mentoring programs are involved with the juvenile justice system or experiencing foster or kinship care.
• 74% of these young individuals come from low-income households, facing unique challenges that require tailored support.
• 64% of mentored youth identify as BIPOC, bringing diverse perspectives and enriching the mentoring experience.

Supporting Youth Workers and Mentoring Professionals

Through training, capacity building, program coaching and quality program assessments we offer youth mentoring programs a variety of avenues for ensuring their programming is evidence-based and reaching optimal outcomes with and for youth.

Supporting Mentors

At MENTOR Washington, we believe every young person deserves a champion. Through advocacy, training, and direct support, we empower mentors and programs dedicated to nurturing the potential of every child. Our ongoing efforts ensure that mentors are equipped to provide the guidance and support that make all the difference.

MENTOR Washington is proud to work with so many agencies in Washington State. We have developed partnerships and deep relationships over the past 20 years. We work collaboratively to directly support vulnerable youth as well as impact systems change. MENTOR Washington is a critical part of the safety net for the most vulnerable youth in Washington State.

Mentoring is an evidenced-based prevention strategy for substance abuse and positively impacts behavioral health. Our partners at the Health Care Authority collaborate with MENTOR Washington to review mentoring programs who apply for HCA funding, ensuring that programs are indeed implementing best practices for mentoring.

We also partner with Washington's Rural Prevention Partners bringing resources and capacity building supports for the unique challenges rural communities face.

Our partnership with DCYF goes all the way back to our roots. The work began at DSHS and has transitioned to DCYF. We collaboratively support mentorship for youth experiencing foster care and the juvenile justice system.  

MENTOR Washington provides critical support to programs providing mentorship to the most vulnerable youth in our communities. This is achieved through shared work with DCYF staff members including professional development and robust programming such as our pilot for Mentoring Youth Experiencing Foster Care. This pilot launched in 2023 and MENTOR Washington brings together DCYF staff, mentoring providers and young adults with lived experience to implement best practices.

The education of Washington youth is a critical component of a young person's growth and development. Our partners at OSPI know that relationships between educators and students matter. A community's support is also critical for healthy schools and OSPI has proven to be champions of mentoring time and time again. 

Thursday, October 22, 2026
11:00 AM Pacific Time
Virtual Training

Healthy relationships shape how young people understand connection, communication, trust, boundaries, and belonging.

Join Monique Ferrer, Senior Scholar Experience Coordinator with Palmer Scholars and Program Specialist with the Lakewood CHOICE Coalition, for an interactive training designed to help mentors and caring adults better support young people as they navigate relationships in their everyday lives.

Through guided conversation and breakout sessions, participants will explore what healthy connection can look like across friendships, romantic relationships, peer relationships, and family relationships.

Participants will learn foundational tools for talking with young people about:

• Communication

• Trust

• Respect

• Accountability

• Emotional safety

• Healthy connection and boundaries

Participants will leave with practical tools and supportive language they can use to create safe spaces for honest conversations about relationships and connection.

About the Facilitator

Monique Ferrer supports young people through education, prevention, and community-based initiatives. She serves as the Senior Scholar Experience Coordinator with Palmer Scholars and as a Program Specialist with the Lakewood CHOICE Coalition.

Her work centers on supporting youth, strengthening healthy decision-making, and creating spaces where young people can build the skills and relationships they need to thrive.

Who Should Attend?

This training is designed for mentors, mentoring program staff, youth-serving professionals, educators, caregivers, and other caring adults who want to strengthen their ability to support young people in developing healthy relationships.

Register for Relationships 101

Come ready to learn, reflect, connect, and leave with tools you can put into practice in your work with young people.

Wednesday, November 11, 2026
11:00 AM Pacific Time
Virtual Conversation

What happens when young people move through systems without the consistent relationships and connections they need to thrive?

Join Claudia Rowe, journalist and author of Wards of the State, for a conversation exploring foster care, youth incarceration, and the transformative power of connection.

For more than 35 years, Rowe has reported on the places where young people and government policy intersect. In Wards of the State, she follows the lives of six people who experienced foster care to examine why so many young people involved in the child welfare system later become involved in the criminal legal system.

At the center of the conversation is something fundamental to mentoring: the need for safe, consistent, caring relationships.

Together, we’ll explore how disrupted connection can affect young people, what interventions can help change those patterns, and the important role mentors and caring adults can play in creating stability, belonging, and possibility.

About the Book

Wards of the State was named a finalist for the 2025 National Book Award for Nonfiction, selected as one of five finalists from 652 submissions.

The book has sparked conversations among child welfare advocates, educators, legal professionals, CASA organizations, public defenders, and communities across the country about foster care, incarceration, policy, and what becomes possible when young people have meaningful connection and support.

About the Author

Claudia Rowe is a journalist who has spent more than three decades reporting on young people, public systems, and policy.

Her work examines the experiences of young people navigating systems such as foster care and the criminal legal system, while asking what communities and institutions can do differently to create better pathways forward.

Learn more about Claudia Rowe and Wards of the State at claudiarowejournalist.com.

Who Should Attend?

This conversation is especially relevant for mentors, mentoring program staff, foster care and child welfare professionals, educators, advocates, youth-serving organizations, and caring adults interested in understanding how relationships and systems shape young people's lives.

Join the Conversation

November 17–19 & December 16, 2026
10:00 AM Pacific Time
Virtual Cohort

Build a stronger foundation for effective, high-quality mentoring.

Join MENTOR California, MENTOR Minnesota, and MENTOR Washington for the Fall 2026 cohort of Elements of Effective Practices for Mentoring (EEPM), a collaborative learning experience centered on foundational, evidence-based practices that support strong mentoring programs and relationships.

Designed for both new and established programs, this cohort provides an opportunity to strengthen your understanding of effective mentoring practices, reflect on your current approach, and connect with other mentoring professionals across regions.

What to Expect

Participants will explore foundational practices that can help mentoring programs strengthen program quality, support mentors and young people, and build more intentional and effective mentoring experiences.

This cohort is a great fit for:

• New mentoring programs building their foundation

• New staff joining established mentoring organizations

• Programs looking to refresh or strengthen existing practices

• Youth-serving professionals interested in evidence-based mentoring strategies

Cohort Schedule

Tuesday, November 17, 2026 | 10:00 AM PT
Wednesday, November 18, 2026 | 10:00 AM PT
Thursday, November 19, 2026 | 10:00 AM PT
Wednesday, December 16, 2026 | 10:00 AM PT

Participants should plan to attend the cohort sessions as part of the full learning experience.

Register for the Fall Cohort