Big Brothers Big Sisters’ one-to-one youth mentoring has been shown to have a significant and positive impact on the lives of children, according to the first-ever nationwide impact study of a mentoring organization conducted by Public/Private Ventures (P/PV).

The Results of the Public / Private Ventures Study:
Researchers found that after 18 months of spending time with their Bigs, the Little Brothers and Little Sisters were:

•    less likely to begin using illegal drugs
•    less likely to begin using alcohol
•    less likely to skip school
•    less likely to skip a class
•    more confident of their performance in schoolwork
•    less likely to hit someone
•    getting along better with their families

Big Brothers Big Sisters volunteers had the greatest impact in the area of alcohol and substance abuse prevention. For every 100 youth between ages 10 and 16 who start using drugs, the study found, only 54 similar youth who are matched with a Big will start using drugs. Minority boys and girls were the most strongly influenced; they were 70 percent less likely than their peers to initiate drug use.
“We have known all along that Big Brothers Big Sisters’ mentoring has a long-lasting, positive effect on children’s confidence, grades, and social skills,” said Judy Vredenburgh, Big Brothers Big Sisters of America’s President and CEO, “and the results of this impact study scientifically confirm that belief.”

The Big Brothers Big Sisters Matches; What Makes them Work?
According to the research, these one-to-one matches are such a powerful force for influencing children’s behavior because of Big Brothers Big Sisters’ signature approach to mentoring.
A Big Brothers Big Sisters’ match is carefully administered and supported by rigorous standards and trained personnel. Professional agency staff strive for matches that are not only safe and well suited to each child’s needs, but also harmonious and built to last. That is why so much care is taken in screening and orienting volunteers, and then in matching them with children.

However, Big Brothers Big Sisters professionals are much more than just “matchmakers.” They provide ongoing support and supervision to the Big, the Little, and the Little’s family. They offer training and advice to help ensure that the match is satisfying and fulfilling for everyone involved.

Additionally, every Big Brothers Big Sisters agency subscribes to a uniform set of standards and procedures. They also receive ongoing training and consultation from the Big Brothers Big Sisters national office.

It is this web of support that helps maximize the likelihood that a Big Brothers Big Sisters relationship will “take root” and flourish. The research found, for example, that Big Brothers Big Sisters’ matches consistently spend more time together, and continue as a match for longer periods, than do their peers in other mentoring programs Public/Private Ventures has studied.

“In mentoring programs without this infrastructure, we have found that relationships evaporate too soon for effects to be possible,” said Walker.

Our Littles’ Results

Locally, Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Coastal Empire has examined data for the Little Brothers and Little Sisters we serve.  By comparing report cards and self-report surveys of children with a mentor to those children who are still waiting, we have found positive and significant benefits from mentoring.  Children with a mentor improve their academics, miss less school and are less likely to be retained when compared to their non-mentored peers.

After just seven months of mentoring, children’s grades improve:

 

 

 

Our Littles miss fewer days of school.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Mentored children are less likely to be retained, or “held back” a grade in school.