; Whereas mentoring programs have been shown to be effective in helping young people make healthy choices, and youth who meet regularly with their mentors are 46 percent less likely than their peers to start using illegal drugs; Whereas research shows that young people who were at risk for not completing high school but who had mentors were 55 percent more likely to be enrolled in college, 81 percent more likely to report participating regularly in sports or extracurricular activities, more than twice as likely to say they held a leadership position in a club or sports team, and 78 percent more likely to pay it forward by volunteering regularly in their communities, and that 90 percent are now interested in becoming mentors themselves; Whereas mentoring can play a role in helping young people attend school regularly, as research shows that students who meet regularly with their mentors are 52 percent less likely than their peers to skip a day of school and 37 percent less likely to skip a class; Whereas mentors prepare young people for professional careers by helping them set career goals, introducing them to industry professionals, and helping them train for and find jobs; Whereas all of the above listed benefits link youth to economic and social capital while also strengthening communities; and Whereas despite these benefits, 9 million young people in the United States feel isolated from meaningful connections with adults outside their homes, constituting a mentoring gap that demonstrates a need for collaboration and resources: Now, therefore, be it