Our Impact:

Every year Big Brothers Big Sisters is required to conduct a Program Outcome Evaluation (POE) survey for all our matches. This survey helps us assess the impact the program has on the kids we serve. Once again, this year our surveys showed that Bigs play a significant role in impacting the lives of the Littles they mentor. Parents, teachers and mentors of Littles mentored by local volunteers reported that:

• 89% of children increased in self-confidence
• 72% of children improved in academic performance
• 61% of children are more likely to avoid substance abuse
• 72% of children improved in respect for other cultures
• 76% of children improved in relationships with peers
• 70% of children increased in class participation

Big Brothers Big Sisters of America (the national organization) also regularly conducts research about how mentoring impacts the kids in the program. In a Nationwide study conducted during 1992 and 1993, found that Big Brothers Big Sisters’ volunteers had the greatest impact in the area of alcohol and substance abuse prevention. Researchers found that after 18 months of spending time with their Bigs, the Little Brothers and Little Sisters were:

• 46% less likely to begin using illegal drugs
• 27% less likely to begin using alcohol
• 52% less likely to skip school
• 37% less likely to skip a class
• more confident of their performance in schoolwork
• one-third less likely to hit someone
• getting along better with their families

Learn more about this study or how Big Brothers Big Sisters is impacting the lives of children we serve.