Mission & History
Big Brothers Big Sisters has served at-risk youth in Colorado for nine decades. The mission of Big Brothers Big Sisters of Colorado is to help children reach their full potential through professionally supported, one-to-one volunteer mentoring relationships with measurable impact. In 2009, BBBSC will support 1,830 one-to-one mentoring relationships between youth and volunteer mentors in the metro Denver and Colorado Springs areas.
Some Community Needs
- There are nearly 32,000 elementary aged children who live in low-income, single parent households in metro Denver and Colorado Springs.
- In 2008, only 50% of students in the 3rd through 5th grade who qualify for Free and Reduced School Lunch passed the CSAP READING test and MATH test.
- 1/3 of students in Colorado do not graduate from high school. In Denver, more than 50% of all students do not graduate. Over 70% of non-white 9th graders in DPS will not graduate.
- Colorado would have an additional $830 million in accumulated wealth if all heads of household were high school graduates.
Target Demographic
Big Brothers Big Sisters of Colorado targets elementary school aged children who live in low-income, single parent families. One-third of the children we serve have a parent who is incarcerated.
Programs
Big Brothers Big Sisters' professional staff recruit, screen and train volunteer mentors (Big Brothers and Big Sisters) and match them in one-to-one relationships with young people. We support and oversee the success of each match by communicating regularly with the volunteers, the children and their families and by providing activities designed to strengthen the match relationship. We believe that successful mentoring relationships have a lasting impact on young people and their families, offer positive experiences for volunteers and create stronger, safer and more successful communities.
Big Brothers Big Sisters serves youth ages 7-17 through a number of programs:
- Community Mentoring - children and mentors choose their own activities and get together several times per month over the course of a year. Staff support the relationships, offer supplemental mentor trainings, and provide match events and suggestions for activities.
- Buddies Programs - mentors and their Littles meet once or twice a month to participate in an activity based on a theme like sports or art. Sports Buddies is Big Brothers Big Sisters largest Buddies program and has been particularly successful at introducing men to mentoring.
Impact for Children
Compared with their peers, children with Big Brothers and Big Sisters experience:
- Improved Relationships - better relationships with their families and peers.
- Academic Engagement - better attendance and positive attitudes toward school.
- Decreased Risky Behavior - less likely to try drugs and alcohol.
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