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Model Program

Big Brothers Big Sisters

230 North 13th Street
Philadelphia, PA 19107
http://www.bbbsa.org/site/pp.asp?c=iuJ3JgO2F&b=14576

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Contact Information:
Thomas M. McKenna
Director
215.567.7000
national@bbbsa.org

Program Specification:

Emphasis:

Gender:

Rating:

Prevention
Intervention

Both

Strong Evidence of Effectiveness

Age/Grade Level:

Target Settings:

Target Groups:

Middle School
High School

Rural
Urban
Suburban
Inner City

Individuals

Ethnicity:

Other Participation Criteria:

All Ethnicities

Description:

Big Brothers/Big Sisters (BB/BS) is a federation of more than 500 agencies that serve children and adolescents. The basic concept of the BB/BS program is not to ameliorate specific problems, but to provide support in all aspects of young people's lives through a professionally supported one-to-one relationship with a caring adult. During their time together, the mentor and youth engage in developmentally appropriate activities, such as walking; visiting a library; washing the car; playing catch; attending a play, school activity, or sporting event. Individual programs are customized to local needs while a national infrastructure oversees recruitment, screening, matching, and supervision to ensure that quality mentors are selected; that good mentor-mentee matches are made; and that these relationships receive adequate staff supervision and support.

Program Descriptors Include:
Academic Improvement, Bullying/Violence, Extra Curricular, Mentoring/Tutoring, Substance Abuse

Starting Date: Unspecified
Students Served Per Year: Unspecified
Last Verified: 2009

Risk Factors:

Protective Factors:

Program addresses the following:

Individual factors

  • High-risk peer group
  • High-risk social behavior
  • Low achievement
  • Poor attendance

Family factors

  • Low socioeconomic status
  • Not living with both natural parents

Community factors

  • Family composition/socioeconomic status
  • Youth social attitudes

Program promotes the following:

Relationships

  • Presence and involvement of caring, supportive adults

Independence

  • Healthy/conventional beliefs and standards

Competence

  • Social competencies

Program Resources:

Annual Cost:

Unspecified

Funding Sources Include:

Program Staff Includes:

Foundations
Donations
Organizations/Agencies

Volunteers

Materials Used:

Supporting / Partner Organizations:

Unspecified

Unspecified

Evaluation Information:

An extensive 18-month study using classical experimental design was used to evaluate the program. The researchers found among mentored youth, compared to the control group: reduced initiation of drug use, particularly for minority males; reduced initiation of alcohol use, particularly for minority females; reduced incidents of hitting someone; increased feeling of competence in school, particularly for minority females; improved grades, particularly for minority females; fewer skipped days of school, particularly for females.

How evaluation data was collected:
Outside experimental studies