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The Big Brother Big Sister program is the largest donor

and volunteer supported network in the country. For

over a hundred years the Big Brother Big Sister program has matched children with adults who volunteer to be

mentors and strong influences in the lives of others.

Did You Know?

In Georgia there are an estimated 38% of single parent households- one of the highest rates in the country.

As teachers how can we support these families?

There are several programs to meet specific needs:

Community-based mentoring

School-based mentoring

Ethnic background specific

Military families

Children of Promise

Community Based Mentoring

Spending time together out in the local community.

School-Based Mentoring

Sometimes children need a role model in their school to help them stay motivated

and on track. The school-based mentoring program allows the mentor to help inside

the school.

Race Specific Mentoring

We all need someone we can relate to and sometimes the best person has the same ethnic background as the child. The mentors will be able to connect with the child and the

struggles that they may be having.

Military Family Mentoring

Georgia has several large military bases and children of service men or woman have very special needs. The Big Brother Big Sister Program is sensitive to this and they try to match retired military members with the children.

Child of Promise

The child of promise program helps children who’s parents are incarcerated. Having a parent incarcerated is no fault of the child yet there is a stigma against them, the Big Brother Big Sister program is sensitive to this and they are a friend to the child.

Does the Big Brother Big Sister Program really work?

When Children are paired with strong role models at the Big

Brother Big Sister Program they are:

45% less likely to begin using illegal drugs

27% less likely to use alcohol

52% less likely to skip school

“Both in school and in the community,

children learn more about who they are

and how to behave in society from their

peers” (Barbour, Barbour, Scully

p.256).

The choices that are made in a child’s life now

will affect them in the future; they deserve every

advantage that they can get.-Jordan Hurd

For information visit: http://www.bbbsheartga.org/site/c.8gLLKXMDLnI2F/b.7714625/k.EF4C/Home_Pa

ge.htm