FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

MYTHBUSTERS FROM DISCOVERY CHANNEL

KICK OFF MENTOR RECRUITMENT FOR NATIONAL MENTORING MONTH

IN MINNESOTA, JANUARY 5, RIVERCENTRE

Young people and their mentors gather to explore

science, technology, engineering and math

MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. (January 2,2008) – Jamie Hyneman, host, and Grant Imahara, design team member, from the popular “MythBusters” show on the Discovery Channel will entertain 1,200 young people and their mentors on January 5, 2008 at the St. Paul RiverCentre.

The event is the kick-off for National Mentor Month in Minnesota presented by Mentoring Partnership of Minnesota (MPM) and General Electric (GE).  MPM Executive Director Joellen Gonder-Spacek says there are 250,000 young people across Minnesota who could benefit from a mentor.  “We hope people will reflect on who mentored them and give back by sharing what they know to help a child reach his/her dream.  We know mentoring works and that children who have mentors in their lives are more likely to do better in school, avoid risky behaviors and become contributing members of society.”

MythBuster and electrical engineer Imahara is a mentor himself and believes in the value of caring adults supporting and guiding young people so they can fulfill their dreams. 

This year the Mentoring Partnership and its partners are emphasizing the importance of engaging and exciting young people about STEM – science, technology, engineering and math.  “We want young people to know that people who work in the STEM fields are not just men and women in white lab coats and the MythBusters help bust that perception,” says Gonder-Spacek.

Each week on “MythBusters”, special effects experts Adam Savage and Jamie Hyneman and their team take on three myths and use modern-day science to show what’s real and what’s fiction.  They bring the STEM skills to life, proving that science, technology, engineering and math are part of everyone’s daily activities and are present in thousands of interesting careers and jobs.

Bob Mitchell, president & CEO of GE Capital Solutions Fleet Services, heads one of more than 65 companies in Minnesota whose employees mentor young people in the communities in which they operate.  “One of the most effective ways to support students is through mentoring relationships.  When we equip mentors to assist students in exploring STEM opportunities and the paths to realizing them, the power of mentoring becomes even stronger.  Not only do we help students find their dreams, we also lay out concrete routes to achieve them.”

The Minnesota kick-off of National Mentoring Month is presented by General Electric.  Additional sponsors include IWCO Direct, Best Buy, Federated Insurance, Supervalu, University of Minnesota, ADC, Carlson Family Foundation, Ecolab, Emerson Process Management, McKnight Foundation, Medtronic Foundation, Qwest, Target, University of Minnesota Extension, BriteMedia, KARE 11 and Northwest Airlines.   

Campaign partners also include the Minnesota Business Partnership, Science Museum of Minnesota, Minnesota Department of Education, Minnesota High Tech Association and Alley Institute.

Adults across Minnesota are encouraged to become a mentor by visiting www.mentoringworks.org.  The Mentoring Partnership of Minnesota formed in l994 as a community initiative to promote mentoring for Minnesota youth.  Its mission is to connect more youth with quality mentoring and economic self-sufficiency experiences.

NOTE:  The RiverCentre event on January 5th is not open to the public.  Also, one-on-one media interviews with the MythBusters are available from 3:30-4:00 pm on January 5^th.

For more information, contact:

Mai-Anh Kapanke

Mentoring Partnership of Minnesota

612-370-9169 or mkapanke@mentoringworks.org

Ginger Sisco

Sisco Public Relations, Inc.

763-544-0629 or ginger.sisco@tela.com