Mentorship creates connection, confidence, opportunity, and hope.

Join MENTOR Washington for the Celebrate Mentoring Brunch, an inspiring gathering honoring the relationships, programs, and people helping young people across Washington feel supported, hopeful, and prepared to thrive.

Together, we’ll celebrate the power of mentoring and the role each of us can play in creating communities where young people have meaningful relationships, see possibilities for their future, and have pathways to reach their goals.

Your attendance and support help MENTOR Washington expand access to quality mentoring relationships across the state through training, resources, program support, partnerships, advocacy, and hope-centered practices.

Event Details

Date: Saturday, September 26, 2026
Time: 10:30 AM–12:00 PM
Location: FareStart, Seattle
Hosted by: MENTOR Washington

Come celebrate mentoring, connect with community, and help us continue building a Washington where every young person has the relationships and support they need to thrive.

RSVP today and Celebrate Mentoring with us!

RSVP HERE

What should you do when a young person tells you they are feeling anxious, or when you notice they are beginning to avoid school, friendships, activities, or new experiences?

Join MENTOR Washington for Supporting Youth with Anxiety: Practical Strategies for Mentors, a virtual training led by licensed clinical psychologist and researcher Dr. Alex Werntz.

Training Date: Tuesday, September 22, 2026
Time: 12:00 PM–1:00 PM
Location: Virtual

Register

This session will explore how anxiety can show up in children and adolescents and provide practical, evidence-based strategies mentors can use to respond with greater confidence and care. Participants will learn how to recognize signs of anxiety, validate a young person’s emotions, encourage resilience, and provide meaningful support while staying within the unique and important role of a mentor.

In this training, participants will explore how to:

• Recognize common ways anxiety may show up in children and adolescents

• Respond when a young person shares that they are feeling anxious

• Validate emotions without reinforcing avoidance

• Encourage confidence, resilience, and healthy coping

• Support young people while maintaining appropriate boundaries within the mentoring relationship

This training is designed for mentors, mentoring program staff, and other youth-serving professionals who want practical tools for supporting young people experiencing anxiety.

About the Trainer

Alex Werntz, PhD is a licensed clinical psychologist and researcher with expertise in youth mental health and mentoring. She is the co-owner of Cville Family Therapy, a private practice in Charlottesville, Virginia, and previously led research on mentoring and youth development at the Center for Evidence-Based Mentoring.

Dr. Werntz earned her PhD in Clinical Psychology from the University of Virginia and has published research on anxiety, mentoring relationships, and digital mental health interventions. She is passionate about helping mentors apply evidence-based psychological principles to better support the young people they serve.