Youth mentorship programs are essential to the development of young minds. At BBBSLI, we encourage our mentors to build a strong connection with the mentees to help them move in the right direction. We have curated various mentorship programs in the US with utmost care to ensure the well-being and progress of young individuals in the Long Island area.
Our programs are specifically designed for the holistic development of young minds. Mentoring youth is a responsibility we take very seriously. Our goal is to ensure that all the youth mentoring initiated under BBBSLI bears positive results for all involved. We have witnessed substantial results in our last few years of operations. We aim to improve these results and bring more positive change in the lives of young people.
What is a Youth Mentorship Program?
A youth mentorship program is an opportunity for young individuals to get the guidance they need in order to be successful in life. These programs are created with the goal of facilitating personal growth and development. Mentoring youth is especially beneficial for children with unstable family life. Lack of support may impact their emotional growth negatively. Our programs are created to provide all the necessary instruments for these individuals to get the support they need.
Our Flagship Mentorship Program in the US
BBBSLI has various mentorship programs in the US that are dedicated to the cause of mentoring youth. We have various programs that provide support to the youth in terms of education, career, and finances. Our programs are also designed in a way that allows mentors or Bigs to provide emotional support to their mentees or Littles. We have listed our programs below for you to get a better idea of what we seek to achieve.
Support Programs for Youth
At BBBSLI, one of our most important programs revolves around Bullying Intervention. We help Littles refrain from engaging in bullying behavior. We encourage them to be kind and peaceful and not get involved in fights. We collaborate with community organizations such as Long Island Coalition Against Bullying and provide preventative measures and support to the individuals involved with us. We also help young children who are getting bullied by providing them with the necessary support and tools that enable them to stand up for themselves.
Mentoring Youth with Financial Support
BBBSLI believes in an equitable society where everyone has equal opportunities and resources. We have multiple programs that are geared toward providing financial support to those in need.
- BBBSLI Youth Scholarships – BBBSLI has a scholarship program along with programs that are focused on mentoring youth. We provide grants and scholarships to Littles and former Littles every year for college and vocational schools. These scholarships are also available for Bigs, who are high school students and have excellent academic performance. We have a formal application process through which we select the recipients of the scholarships. In 2023, we raised $71,000 that ended up helping 14 seniors. Since 1998, we have raised over $800,000 and helped more than 170 high school students get into the colleges of their choice.
- BBBSLI Little Fund – We also provide financial support to the families that need it the most. Our Little Fund was created to help families meet their needs after they have exhausted government funding. Our fund is not only about monetary support, but donors also provide generous support in the form of rent payments, food gift cards, clothing, and personal hygiene supplies.
- Darby Dental Kid’s Closet – At BBBSLI, we know the importance of having good quality clothes and shoes. Our Darby Dental Kid’s Closet provides free clothing, shoes, and accessories in various sizes for various occasions, such as for school or job interviews. We have set this closet up mindfully to ensure that our Littles can experience shopping for clothes without any cost. With this initiative, we ensure that all the clothing needs of our Littles are met.
- Back to School Events – At BBBSLI, we pay special attention to the school needs of our Littles. Through our “Back to School” initiative, we provide school supplies that are needed by each Little’s school and any other school supplies or clothing they may need. This year, we successfully helped 350 young individuals get back to school with the best quality supplies and clothing.
- Providing Laptops – BBBSLI provides laptops to all the Littles who cannot afford one. We began this initiative during the Pandemic due to the lack of support that students felt during virtual classes. Since then, we have had this program to help students get laptops to fulfill their academic needs.
- BBBSLI Thanksgiving Dinner & Assistance – Thanksgiving is an important event for all families. At BBBSLI, we provide each family with gift cards so that they can enjoy a fulfilling Thanksgiving dinner. Our aim for this year is to provide 55 families with the facilities to celebrate a wonderful Thanksgiving. Not to forget the apple pies, which we ensure that no family leaves without!
- Holiday for Kids’ Sake – BBBSLI values its generous supporters as they help us with our mentorship programs significantly. During the holidays, with their help, we deliver hundreds of families in Long Island with holiday gifts to spark festive spirits! No matter the family’s financial hardships, our aim is to provide each one of them with a good experience during the holiday season.
Youth Mentorship Programs for Career & Development
BBBSLI has created a youth mentorship program for the career development of its Littles. We create programs to help with career development, education, and financial literacy. All these are aimed at mentoring youth and empowering them for a greater future.
- Rise Up Program – It is one of our most important programs that provide mentoring to Littles and their parents. All the Littles aged between 10 and 18 years can benefit from this program as we provide them with personalized career guidance. We also offer them tutoring sessions for their school and various entrance exams. Rise Up program also consists of sessions on financial literacy so our mentees know how to spend the money they will be eventually earning.
We also provide our Littles with exclusive real-life working experience. BBBSLI employed four Littles and provided them the opportunity to gain valuable work experience working in our offices.
- Match Enrichment Activities – A big part of our initiatives at BBBSLI is the relationship between Bigs and Littles. To enrich these relationships, we organize various activities such as hiking, biking, Splish Splash, Dave and Busters, and Movie Day. Not only are these activities fun, but they are also often experiences the Littles cannot have otherwise.
Impact of Our Mentorship on Youth
BBBSLI prides itself not only on having a wide range of youth mentorship programs but also deriving substantial results from them. In 2022 and 2023, we have achieved great results, and our impact has been significant on the lives of multiple young individuals. Here are a few results from our ongoing efforts that fill us with pride and joy.
- 100% of the Littles graduated from High school.
- 96% of youth maintained school expectations.
- 52% agreed their Big kept them from dropping out of high school.
- 77% of Littles said they are doing better in school because of their Big.
- 93% of youth reduced or continued to avoid risky behaviors, such as bullying.
- 100% of Littles were free from Juvenile Justice.
The impact of our youth mentorship programs on Littles has certainly been positive. At BBBSLI, we take pride in mentoring youth and pushing them toward achieving a stable and independent life. Our Bigs are a big part of this process, and we are thankful to them for contributing their time and energy to our cause. BBBSLI always has and will continue to work towards the welfare of young individuals.