US Trends

big brothers big sisters

Big Brothers Big Sisters is a long‑running youth mentoring nonprofit that matches adult volunteers (“Bigs”) with children and teens (“Littles”) in one‑to‑one relationships designed to support their confidence, education, and long‑term wellbeing.

Quick Scoop: What It Is

  • Big Brothers Big Sisters of America is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded out of early 1900s efforts to support court‑involved and at‑risk youth through caring adult mentors.
  • Today it operates through local affiliates across the U.S. (and sister networks like Big Brothers Big Sisters of Canada), making monitored matches between screened adult volunteers and young people, typically from about age 5 through young adulthood.
  • The core mission is usually phrased as creating and supporting one‑to‑one mentoring relationships that ignite the power and potential of youth and help them thrive in school, social life, and personal development.

In short: it’s a structured, professionally supported mentoring program, not just informal “hanging out.”

How The Mentoring Works

  • Local agencies recruit, screen, and train volunteer “Bigs,” then match them with “Littles” based on interests, needs, and compatibility, with staff monitoring the match over time.
  • Matches usually meet regularly (for example weekly or a few times a month) for activities like homework help, sports, arts, or just spending time together, with the focus on building trust and positive routines.
  • Agencies emphasize youth safety policies, background checks, and ongoing professional support for volunteers, youth, and caregivers to keep the relationship safe and productive.

A typical story shared in forums is a Big and Little staying connected for many years, sometimes to milestones like weddings or graduations, reflecting how relationships often grow beyond the initial match period.

Impact And Outcomes

  • The organization presents its model as “evidence‑based,” highlighting research and long‑term evaluations that found mentored youth are more likely to do better in school, avoid risky behaviors, and feel more confident about their future.
  • Between roughly 2012 and 2022, Big Brothers Big Sisters of America reported serving around 2 million children through hundreds of affiliates across all 50 U.S. states.
  • The Canadian network similarly frames its impact around helping young people overcome adverse childhood experiences and improving physical, mental, social, emotional, and academic outcomes.

Many public stories from volunteers describe long‑term bonds where the “Little” later becomes a college student, employee, or even stands in a wedding party, illustrating the kind of life‑span impact the program aims for.

Organization And Values

  • Big Brothers Big Sisters has more than a century of history, beginning with separate Big Brothers and Big Sisters efforts that eventually merged into a single national organization in the 1970s.
  • Local agencies operate under a national umbrella (in both the U.S. and Canada) but run programs tailored to their communities while following shared standards, branding, and safeguarding policies.
  • Official materials describe the organization’s desired identity as positive, inclusive, empowering, trustworthy, and community‑oriented, and they stress values like commitment, accountability, responsibility, and excellence.

Their communication guides even spell out photo and storytelling styles that emphasize real matches, diversity, and moments of achievement, such as a child holding a diploma or crossing a finish line.

Quick Mini‑FAQ

  • Who can be a “Big”?
    Adults who pass screening and training; exact criteria vary by local agency but typically include background checks and time commitments.
  • Who are the “Littles”?
    Children and youth facing adversity or needing additional support, often referred by families, schools, or social services, generally starting around age 5–7.
  • Where does it operate?
    Across the U.S. through Big Brothers Big Sisters of America affiliates and across Canada through Big Brothers Big Sisters of Canada’s federation of agencies.

TL;DR: Big Brothers Big Sisters is a large, long‑standing mentoring network that matches vetted adult volunteers with children and teens for structured, professionally supported, one‑to‑one relationships aimed at improving confidence, school success, and life outcomes.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.