BATON ROUGE - Mayor-President Sharon Weston Broome announced that a proclamation has been issued to declare January as "National Mentoring Month" in Baton Rouge and East Baton Rouge Parish.

The Mayor's Office My Brother's Keeper – Baton Rouge initiative is celebrating 15 years of supporting and mentoring opportunities in the area.

Parish officials are encouraging residents to become active mentors and participate in events throughout the month.

Events include:

– January 12, 2017: "I Am a Mentor Day," a day for volunteer Mentors to celebrate their role and reflect on the ways  mentees have enhanced their world and share their stories about being a Mentor on social media using #MentorIRL  and #MBKBR.

– January 16, 2017: Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service, a day to share in the inspirational words of MLK, Jr. and  elevate the spirit of service through volunteerism.

– January 17, 2017: International Mentoring Day, a day of international conversations on social media where photos, video and messages to share powerful mentoring stories.

– January 19, 2017: "Thank Your Mentor Day," a day for all who have real life mentoring experiences to thank those  who helped them on their path to adulthood and beyond. We encourage anyone who has had a Mentor to say thank  you by sending a note, a card or sharing a story on social media using #MentorIRL #MBKBR.

– January 26, 2017: Big Buddy Program presents the Mentoring in Real Life Awards Ceremony. They are honoring  selected groups and organizations who have exhibited mentoring in a way that has impacted our community.