Inner Strength was honored to speak at State Senator Art Haywood’s 5th Annual Mentoring Conference. The conference brought together representatives from the mentoring movement from all walks of life, including practitioners, researchers, youth leaders, and civic leaders.

The keynote speaker was Marcus Allen, CEO of Big Brothers Big Sisters Independence, and I am grateful for the opportunity to hear him speak. Mr. Allen shared his personal story of how a mentor influenced his life. He was incredibly inspiring and uplifting, and I believe that his words benefited all conference attendees. Personally, I felt more optimistic and hopeful about the future, as well as humbled by everyone’s incredible work. I was thankful to be in that space.

Now for the presentations!

Amy Edelstein and I shared how our mobile app, Inner Strength VIBE, can help both mentors and teen mentees. VIBE provides access to tools that assist in self-improvement, self-regulation, stress reduction, and navigating trauma-related mental health challenges. It’s a fantastic resource for teens to have at their disposal, as well as a valuable tool that mentors can use and share. To check it out yourself, download here.

We were in good company with the other presenters, who included Philly Teen Vaxx, a student-led vaccine program that combats teen vaccine hesitancy, Dr. Bette Kennedy from Catholic Social Services’ “A Better Way” Program, who spoke about seeing teenage arrests through new lenses, and Meghan Perry from Portland State University who spoke about youth purpose and the importance of empowering our young people and amplifying positive outcomes.

It was a powerful experience that emphasized the importance of mentoring. Mentoring truly has the potential to change people’s lives, and we are honored to be a part of the movement.