Big Brothers Big Sisters has been providing carefully screened and trained mentors to work with our most vulnerable children for over 65 years. Mentors are matched with youth in closely monitored and supported relationships that help drive higher aspirations, greater confidence, and better relationships for the youth. Youth matched in the program avoid risky behaviors and achieve greater educational success. Our mentors are dedicated to the youth, and most say they get more out of the relationship than the youth, although our research data shows that the majority of our youth who are matched with a mentor go to school more often, get higher grades, and are more likely to graduate from high school and continue on to career training, college, or the military. Youth are matched either in a school-based program where the mentor meets with the youth only during school hours on school grounds, or the community based program where the mentor transports the youth as they enjoy events in the community, or just the learning experiences of the home environment.
