WE'RE ON A MISSION
TO CREATE AND SUPPORT ONE-TO-ONE MENTORING RELATIONSHIPS THAT IGNITE THE POWER AND PROMISE OF YOUTH WITH A VISION THAT ALL YOUTH ACHIEVE THEIR FULL POTENTIAL
BORN IN 1904
THE NATIONAL PROGRAM began in 1904 when a young New York City court clerk named Ernest Coulter noticed the same troubled boys showing up in his courtroom over and over again. Realizing that none of these kids had a stable, caring adult in their lives, he wondered if responsible volunteers from the community could help these kids stay out of trouble. He didn't realize he was starting a movement. By 1912, "Big Brothers" were volunteering in 26 cities.
By 1916, Big Brothers had spread to 96 cities around the country. Similarly, Ladies of Charity noticed troubled young girls lacked a stable, caring adult as well so its members began befriending the girls who came through the New York Children's Court. This, too, began a chain reaction, and the group eventually became a nationwide organization called "Catholic Big Sisters." In 1972, Don Wolf founded the local chapter of Big Brothers Big Sisters and we have continued his legacy for over 50 years.
WHO IS BIG BROTHERS BIG SISTERS?
For more than 100 years, Big Brothers Big Sisters has operated under the belief that every child inherently has the ability to succeed and thrive in life. The nation’s largest donor-supported and volunteer-supported mentoring network, we make meaningful, monitored matches between adult volunteers – our Bigs – and youth – our Littles – from ages 6 through 22. We develop positive relationships that have a direct and lasting effects on the lives of young people – particularly youth from disadvantaged socioeconomic demographics.
We operate out of 12 counties in Northeast Indiana and Southern Michigan
OUR IMPACT
- 78% interact better with their families
- 87% do better at avoiding delinquency
- 83% experienced increased self-esteem
- 96% were less likely to use illegal substances
- 77% were doing better academically
- 66% had improved school attendance
21ST CENTURY COMMUNITY LEARNING CENTER (CCLC)
Big Brothers Big Sisters incorporates 21st Century Community Learning Center (CCLC) Programming into its Big Futures program, aimed at supporting older youth academically and in their post-graduation careers.
The purpose of the initiative is to establish 21st Century Community Learning Center (CCLC) programs that provide economically disadvantaged youth with opportunities for academic enrichment, character enrichment, and other activities designed to complement the students’ regular academic program. The 21st CCLC program must also engage adult family members of actively participating youth through engagement opportunities.
These programs provide safe environments for youth during non-school hours and may have one or multiple sites or be located in schools, community facilities, and/or faith-based facilities. All sites must provide a range of high-quality services to support student learning and development, including, but not limited to:
- Academic enrichment (e.g. tutoring, homework assistance, high-yield learning activities)
- Mentoring
- Service learning
- Physical fitness and wellness
- Career and technical programs
- Internships or apprenticeship programs, etc. (21st CCLC Policy Manual, 2024)
A local evaluator annually reviews the quality and strength of this programming and its compliance with Indiana Department of Education policy. These local evaluation reports are available to the public upon request.
Call (260) 456-1600 to learn more about our Big Futures program. You may access a copy of the most recent local evaluation report here.