Our Impact

Every girl has potential. At Big Sister, we help girls realize that potential by matching them with a mentor who will give them the attention, care, and support necessary to make healthy choices in their lives. We know girls in Greater Boston need our mentoring programs. The bolded data below was compiled in 2007 by the *Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System Survey* of girls in Boston, grades 9-12. It highlights the distinct challenges facing Boston’s girls today. The bulleted data come from our 2008 Program Outcome Evaluation, developed by the Search Institute in collaboration with Big Brothers Big Sisters of America. This data demonstrates the positive impact mentoring can have on the challenges girls face. Values of more than 70% are considered significant results. 27.3% of high school aged girls in Boston reported being in a physical fight According to parents/guardians, 74% of Community-Based Mentoring (CBM) Little Sisters demonstrated improved relationships with their peers According to teachers, 79% of School-Based Mentoring (SBM) Little Sisters demonstrated improved trust towards others According to group leaders, 80% of Group Mentoring Little Sisters demonstrated improved ability to avoid delinquency 31.4% of high school aged girls in Boston felt sad or hopeless almost every day for two or more weeks in a row so that they stopped doing some usual activities According to parents/guardians, 83% of CBM Little Sisters demonstrated improved self confidence; 80% demonstrated an improved ability to express their feelings; and 77% demonstrated an improved sense of the future According to teachers, 79% of SBM Little Sisters demonstrated improved class participation According to group leaders, 82% of Group Mentoring Little Sisters demonstrated improved sense of the future 16.9% of girls in Boston reported drinking five or more drinks in a sitting at least once in the past 30 days, and 20.4% of girls in Boston reported having been offered, sold or given drugs at their school at least once in the past 12 months According to parents/guardians, 76% of CBM Little Sisters were better able to avoid substance abuse; and 75% demonstrated an improved decision-making ability According to teachers, 75% of SBM Little Sisters demonstrated an improved ability to use school resources According to group leaders, 79% of Group Little Sisters demonstrated an improved ability to avoid substance abuse Further Research** The Role of Gender in Mentoring: A Three-Part Study by Dr. Jean Rhodes and Dr. Leon Litchfield's. This research offers a quantitative study of how gender affects mentoring relationships. "Since the youths’ satisfaction and perceived helpfulness of mentors increased over time, mentors should be supported in developing their mentoring relationships, and instructed that it may take time for their mentees, especially girls, to trust them, accept their support, and enjoy their time together." Executive Summary "She Gives Me a Break From the World: Formal Youth Mentoring Relationships Between Adolescent Girls and Adult Women" by Dr. Renee Spencer and Dr. Belle Liang "For many of the girls in this study, opportunities to immerse themselves in the pleasure of fun moments, shared with an adult companion who was interested in and cared about them, were experiences that seemed to be emotionally enhancing in and of themselves." Article published in Journal of Primary Prevention A study regarding positive outcomes for both mentors and mentees in Group Mentoring programs, including a look at how the mentoring experience improved employee attitudes toward work "...the majority of youth in this study report that meeting with their mentors and involvement in the mentoring programs have had positive impacts in terms of improving school-related behavior, increasing youth development, and reducing negative or high-risk behaviors." Introduction Full Article An analysis of the positive impact School-Based Mentoring has on student attitudes, performance, and behaviors "By the end of the first school year, the program had improved Littles’ outcomes in a range of areas, including their academic attitudes, performance and behaviors." Executive Summary Full Article