Webster Bank announced a new program with The Governor’s Prevention Partnership that will enable The Partnership’s in-school mentoring program to transition to an online forum, allowing mentors to stay connected with mentees. Webster’s $25,000 donation is providing the technology and training costs associated with the training forums, which will enable mentors to launch their online sessions in May.
The virtual mentoring program allows approved and trained mentors to move their sessions from a traditional school setting. Mentors will be trained in creative ways to stay connected with mentees by offering online tours of museums and other cultural attractions, as well as a variety of fun, online educational activities.
The Governor’s Prevention Partnership is a statewide organization that works with schools, mentoring organizations and communities across Connecticut to foster mentor-mentee relationships and anti-bullying efforts. Webster has worked with The Partnership for over 20 years and currently has 100 Webster bankers who mentor students across the state. The virtual mentoring program will be available to any company or mentor currently involved in The Partnership’s mentoring program.
With ongoing school closings across the state during the COVID-19 pandemic, the need to continue the program has become even more important. Students at risk of falling off-track but who have a mentor are 55 percent more likely to enroll in college and 130 percent more likely to hold a leadership position later in life, according to MENTOR, the National Mentoring Partnership (mentoring.org). “Mentoring is a critical tool in our effort to ensure bright futures for our state’s young people,” said Kelly Juleson-Scopino, Interim Co-Leader of The Governor’s Prevention Partnership. “We thank Webster for its leadership support to provide a secure and engaging way for mentors to continue their ongoing relationships, which are crucial to helping mentees stay on track during this critical time.”
“As soon as school closings began, we reached out to The Partnership to work together to ensure this valuable and successful mentoring program continues,” said Kathy Luria, senior vice president, Philanthropy and Community Affairs at Webster. “Our bankers are excited that they can keep volunteering and help their mentees during these challenging times.”
***
About Webster
Webster Financial Corporation is the holding company for Webster Bank, National Association and its HSA Bank division. With $31.7 billion in assets, Webster provides business and consumer banking, mortgage, financial planning, trust, and investment services through 157 banking centers and 308 ATMs.Webster also provides mobile and online banking. Webster Bank owns the asset-based lending firm Webster Business Credit Corporation; the equipment finance firm Webster Capital Finance Corporation; and HSA Bank, a division of Webster Bank, which provides health savings account trustee and administrative services. Webster Bank is a member of the FDIC and an equal housing lender. For more information about Webster, including past press releases and the latest annual report, visit the Webster website at www.websterbank.com.