By Marshall Griffin, KWMU
St. Louis, MO. – State employees are being encouraged to become mentors.
Governor Matt Blunt signed an executive order Wednesday creating a pilot program that will make it easier for state workers to make time in their schedules to mentor kids.
Blunt says the Missouri Mentor Initiative will address the problem of people lacking free time to help out, by providing paid time off to those who take part:
"It's limited to 40 hours during the school year, so it allows them to be a mentor during the school year, but this is some paid time off that makes it possible, paid leave, that I think will really help make it possible for them to act as a mentor, to children that need a mentor," Gov. Blunt said.
The mentoring pilot project will last for one year, and then undergo evaluation for possible expansion.
It will be administered by the Lieutenant Governor's office.