Common Ground Consulting Partners with ‘Dr. Mentor’ to Support Mentoring Programs Nationwide
School-based mentoring, pioneered by Dr. Weinberger in the 1980s, remains one of the most effective ways to reach young people where they are.
Effective mentoring relationships are built on conversation, preparation, and ongoing support.
Youth mentoring works when both sides are well-trained and well-supported.
77 years of combined expertise are now available to corporate, association, and youth mentoring programs
Programs struggle because their designs don’t align with the conditions participants face. When you prepare mentors and mentees, build proper supports, and monitor quality... positive outcomes follow.”
WASHINGTON, DC, DC, UNITED STATES, January 8, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Common Ground Consulting LLC has partnered with Dr. Susan G. Weinberger, founder of Mentor Consulting Group and the architect of America's first school-based mentoring program, to offer a full suite of mentoring program design, training, and evaluation services.— Dr. Susan G. Weinberger (aka "Dr. Mentor")
The partnership pairs two of the field's most experienced practitioners. Dr. Weinberger, widely known as "Dr. Mentor," pioneered school-based mentoring in Norwalk, Connecticut, in the early 1980s, creating a model replicated nationwide. Craig Bowman, President of Common Ground Consulting, brings more than three decades of leadership development experience across 35 countries. Together, they offer organizations something rare: deep expertise in both program design and real-world implementation.
The team serves corporations building leadership pipelines and knowledge transfer programs, professional associations creating member development pathways, and youth-serving organizations designing safe, sustainable mentoring initiatives for young people. Services include program design and marketing, mentor and mentee training, evaluation, and quality assurance strategies.
The partnership also addresses one of mentoring's most persistent challenges: sustainability.
Too many programs close or cut back when initial funding runs out. The team helps organizations build diversified fundraising strategies, including individual donor cultivation, that keep programs strong for the long term.
"Most mentoring programs don’t struggle because people don’t care," said Dr. Weinberger. "Mentoring programs struggle because their designs don’t align with the real conditions participants face. When you prepare both mentors and mentees, build the proper supports, and monitor quality, mentoring becomes reliable, and positive outcomes follow."
"Good intentions launch mentoring programs. Solid infrastructure sustains them," said Bowman. "Clear expectations, quality training, ongoing support, and accountability. That's what keeps matches from quietly fading."
The team is currently completing design and launch support for a new mentoring program with the DC Metropolitan Police Department. Between them, Weinberger and Bowman have worked on hundreds of mentoring initiatives over their careers and have partnered on many of them over the past 25 years. Their clients have ranged from national organizations such as Big Brothers Big Sisters, YouthBuild, and MENTOR, to federal agencies including the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, the Department of Education, and the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, to corporate programs like the California Water Environment Association, and local programs such as the Buddy Program and Soccer Without Borders.
The announcement coincides with National Mentoring Month, observed each January since 2002 to expand access to mentoring relationships for young people.
Research shows mentoring works. Young people with mentors are 55% more likely to enroll in college, 78% more likely to volunteer regularly, and more than twice as likely to hold leadership positions. Yet one in three young people in the United States will grow up without a mentor.
Corporate mentoring delivers powerful results as well. According to a CNBC/SurveyMonkey study, 91% of workers with mentors report being satisfied with their jobs, compared to significantly lower satisfaction among those without mentors. Gallup research shows employees with mentors are twice as likely to be engaged at work as those without.
Dr. Weinberger and Bowman are available for media interviews on mentoring trends, program effectiveness, and the state of mentoring in the United States.
Organizations interested in exploring the development or strengthening of a mentoring program can learn more at https://commongroundconsulting.ai/mentoring.
Founded by Dr. Susan G. Weinberger in 1998, the Mentor Consulting Group provides consulting, training, and program development services for mentoring initiatives nationwide. Dr. Weinberger's work has shaped mentoring practice for the past four decades.
Founded by Craig A. Bowman in 2007, Common Ground Consulting helps mission-driven organizations strengthen strategy, leadership, and impact. The firm combines global experience with a deep understanding of the U.S. nonprofit ecosystem. Its new AI-enhanced approach accelerates strategic planning, builds organizational resilience, and demonstrates what responsible human + AI partnership can achieve.
Craig A. Bowman
Common Ground Consulting LLC
+1 202-744-2567
craig@commongroundconsulting.org
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