Are Big Brothers Big Sisters programs effective?
Most of us can recall an adult or older friend whose friendship was a positive, guiding force when we were a child. Our program offers that experience to children who don’t have “natural” mentor in a parent or other family member. While we think friendship itself is worth it, many organizations have conducted research on positive youth development and have concluded that one to one adult mentoring is one of the keys to youth achieving their full potential. The most famous private study of the Big Brothers Big Sisters model concluded that children who are matched with a Big Brother or Big Sister are: • 46% less likely to start using illegal drugs • 27% less likely to start using alcohol • 52% less likely to skip a day at school • 37% less likely to lie to their parents You can read this study on mentoring and others like it by visiting the Web site of Public/Private Ventures and clicking on the “Publications” section.
Most of us can recall an adult or older friend whose friendship was a positive, guiding force when we were a child. Our program offers that experience to children who might not have “natural” mentor in a parent or other family member. While we think friendship itself is worth it, many organizations have conducted research on positive youth development and have concluded that one-to-one adult mentoring is one of the keys to youth achieving their full potential. The most famous private study of the Big Brothers Big Sisters model concluded that children who are matched with a Big Brother or Big Sister are: • 46% less likely to start using illegal drugs • 27% less likely to start using alcohol • 52% less likely to skip a day at school • 37% less likely to lie to their parents You can read this study on mentoring and others like it by visiting the Web site of Public/Private Ventures and clicking on the “Publications” section.
