With our school-based mentoring program, there is a focus on topics like Get To Know You, Friendship/Peer Pressure, Goals, Social Media Etiquette, Stress Management & Anger & Coping and Career Pathways with some additional free time for matches to get to know each other better. Through abundant research and in partnership with national mentoring organizations including with the Annie E. Casey Foundation and the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, BBBS knows that mentoring and relationships help youth achieve academically, develop social and employability skills, and build interpersonal skills to use throughout their lives.
As an example of our school/site based work, Big Zoe and Little Nora are the newest match made at our Lunch Buddies program at Estabrook Elementary School in Ypsilanti. They have been matched for 3 months and some of their goals for their first year together are to run outside on the track, make Christmas cards for those who may feel lonely during the holiday season, read outside with music playing, draw, and paint. The two instantly clicked with Little Nora’s outgoing personality and Big Zoe’s kind heart. Both speak highly of one another. Big Zoe shared recently that Little Nora’s confidence helps build her own confidence. When Little Nora sees Big Zoe as she walks down to lunch, she has a big smile on her face and sometimes jumps up and down in excitement. After the first time at Lunch Buddies, Little Nora said “I’m so excited my head hurts” after seeing all of the stations the match can do together.”
To learn more about being a Big or volunteering click here.
