Mentoring youth is a highly valuable activity. It is pertinent to the development of young minds. Mentorship programs consist of various activities and events that are aimed at creating a strong bond between the mentor and the mentee. At BBBSLI, the bond between our Bigs and Littles plays a crucial role in the success of our youth mentorship programs. BBBSLI is all about creating opportunities for young individuals to embrace their potential and use it to gain success in life.
We want all the young people of the Long Island area to have the opportunity to express themselves freely. We want to provide them with the necessary tools and resources to create a sustainable career and happy life ahead. The success of youth mentorship programs lies in the development of mentees. Throughout the years, our programs have provided guidance and support to multiple Littles. Read below to learn more about how our mentorship programs have created an impact!
How is Mentorship for Youth Helpful?
Mentorship for youth helps children and teenagers from disadvantaged backgrounds profoundly. There are multiple benefits one can derive from being in touch with a trusted mentor. At BBBSLI, we create careful matches to ensure that Littles gets the best possible mentoring experience. We want our Littles to have the best guidance and support to help them with school, career, or anything else that they may need.
While a mentor is not a substitute for parents, teachers, and family members, they have their own role to play that is crucial to the development of the mentee. To reduce the risk of young individuals falling behind or getting into unwanted situations, mentorship is absolutely essential.
- Improves Behavior – Mentorship programs are known for having a positive impact on the behavior of the mentees. A lot of young people in our mentoring programs have experienced a change in their behavior. It has been estimated that the behavior of the mentees has improved significantly after they got involved with a mentor.
- Improves Academic Performance – A lot of our Littles also experienced improvement in their academic performance. As they got the needed guidance, support, and motivation from their mentors, their performance at school increased. They started participating more in school activities and also did their homework and schoolwork more efficiently.
- Improves Self-Esteem – Young individuals involved in mentoring programs also experienced a transformation in how they view themselves. Their self-esteem was improved significantly. Not only the mentees but the mentors also experienced the same. It has been estimated that individuals involved in mentoring programs learn to create a better image of themselves.
- Improves Confidence Levels – Having a mentor who guides you without making you feel less is a blessing. At BBBSLI, we have been fortunate to create matches that have helped our Littles feel better about themselves. There was a visible boost in the confidence levels of our Littles after they found guidance and support in our Bigs.
- Reduces Stress – Mentorship provides mentees with an experience like no other. At BBBSLI, we organize various activities and events to ensure that both the mentors and mentees can better connect with each other. These activities also act as a stress buster. Also, having a mentor who you can talk to is another factor that relieves considerable stress from the mind of the mentees. Bigs provide Littles with sound advice on various topics, and that helps considerably reduce stress.
- Reduces Risky Behavior – Mentors play a huge role in reducing risky behaviors that mentees can potentially indulge in. Bigs guide Littles to the more positive side of things, leading to a reduction in them indulging in behavior that can harm them or their futures. Mentees are also less likely to get involved with juvenile justice or police when they are under a mentorship program.
- Reduces Dropout Rate – Mentorship programs for youth also have a positive impact on the dropout rate. Young individuals who have the guidance and support of a mentor are less likely to drop out of school. With the correct guidance, students learn to enjoy school and are more likely to pass classes without getting retained.
Measuring the Success of BBBSLI Mentorship Programs
Mentorship programs are successful not because mentors stay with the mentees for a certain time but because of the overall impact that is created. The success of BBBSLI mentoring programs lies in the guidance and support of mentors that changes the lives of the mentees for the better.
Many young individuals are at a disadvantage because of situations that are out of their control. The programs at BBBSLI work to reduce their disadvantage and provide them with opportunities otherwise not available to them. The mentors work hard to ensure that they are doing their best to guide the mentees in the right direction. In the light of this effort, there have been multiple successes. Here are a few measures of the success the guidance and support of mentors have resulted in.
- 100 percent of our Littles graduated from High school.
- 0 percent of our Littles were retained.
- 0 percent of our Littles were involved with Juvenile Justice.
- 92 percent of our Littles improved or maintained their grades at school.
- 96 percent of our Littles improved or maintained the expectations at school.
- 52 percent of our Littles admitted that their Bigs kept them from dropping out of high school.
- 77 percent of our Littles attributed their success at school to their Bigs.
- 100 percent of our Littles avoided police and juvenile contact.
- 93 percent of our Littles reduced or continued to avoid risky behaviors.
- 56 percent of our Littles were less likely to start using drugs.
To Sum Up
There are multiple benefits that young individuals derive from mentoring programs. At BBBSLI, the success of our programs is due to the support and guidance of an excellent community of Bigs. Out Bigs are dedicated to the cause of mentorship and have done their best to help their Littles in multiple ways. There have been multiple instances where our mentors have created a big impact with seemingly small actions in the life of an individual. This is what the whole process of mentoring is all about.
Our mentors have also found valuable lessons in the time they have spent with their Littles. BBBSLI is proud of all its Bigs and Littles for overcoming their challenges and becoming pillars of support for each other. Our Littles have shown tremendous growth and improved significantly in various aspects of their lives. This improvement is due to their own will as well as the efforts of their mentors. It is obvious that youth mentorship programs are essential and pertinent to the growth and development of young minds.