Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Arkansas is dedicated to the impact a positive relationship can have for a child. Since its beginnings in 1968, the one-to-one component has been a key proponent for the formula.
This year, BBBSCA started a new program: Big Role Models. The idea is the same, the one-to-one is there, but there’s a twist, a fresh perspective.
Soirée recently talked with BBBSCA development coordinator Colleen Carr about the initiative and the power she believes it has to change central Arkansas
So the Big Role Models Program is brand new. Can you explain how it works?
This is the inaugural year for The Big Role Model Program of BBBSCA. It was created to effectively support and encourage students in their junior year of high school to become involved in the community through philanthropy.
These are students that exemplify the core values that have been adopted by BBBSCA. These core values are integrity, accountability, diversity, respect, leadership, quality, service, excellence, fun, initiative and empowerment.
Big Role Models (BRM) are high school students in the central Arkansas area entering their junior year of high school.These students have displayed the character and traits that the BBBSCA program looks for when selecting “Bigs.”
BBBSCA would like to take these students and educate them about our programs, the value of one-to-one mentoring and the lasting effect it can have on a child’s life. BRM will participate in over 20 hours of education and volunteering in the mentoring program of BBBSCA, which runs from August through May.
Upon successful completion, BRMs will be eligible for exclusive BBBSCA college scholarships and will receive documentation of program completion for use in college applications. Each student will receive a portfolio of editorial prints from top photographers in central Arkansas that may serve as an alternative to senior pictures. BRM will represent BBBSCA by participating in runway shows, and will also be featured in local magazines.
What need does BRM fulfill?
I came on staff with BBBSCA last August. I quickly realized that I didn’t know much about BBBSCA. Before coming on as staff, I felt like BBBSCA was a good program, but I wasn’t really sure how it worked, or what it did for our community. It didn’t take long to discover that many lives here in Central Arkansas have been changed by this program. The impact that BBBSCA has on children in central Arkansas and the lives that have been changed forever by this program are numerous and amazing! There are many leaders here in central Arkansas that were once “Littles” in BBBSCA.
Being a mother of two teenagers and the wife of a youth pastor for almost 20 years, I was well aware of the effect teens and their families can have on a community. It seemed clear to me that if we were able to get teenagers plugged in during their high school years, we would hopefully raise awareness not only in the teenagers, but also their families, and therefore effectively raise awareness about BBBSCA in central Arkansas. By raising the awareness of BBBSCA at a high school age, we hope that these students come back to us when they are adults and volunteer as “Bigs” right here in central Arkansas.
Awareness, volunteerism and donations are always needs in any nonprofit. The Big Role Model Program has the potential to meet all three of these needs. These students also bring a monetary donation to BBBSCA, which is then used to support its mission: to provide children facing adversity with strong and enduring, professionally supported, one-to-one relationships that change their lives for the better, forever.
Why should parents want their kids engaged with BRM? And how can they do so?
We want to applaud these exceptional young adults for the decisions they have already made and offer support for the life changing decisions they will make in the next few years. By inviting them to become ambassadors for Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Arkansas, we hope to teach them the value of donating just a few hours of their time each month. They will discover that a few hours make a big impact!
We hope that participating in the Big Role Model Program will be a positive and life changing experience, one they will carry with them as they grow and become the leaders of tomorrow.
Invitations are sent out in spring each year. Names of upcoming juniors in the central Arkansas area can be submitted to us, along with a reference letter, from now until May.
What type of impact does a program like BRM have on a community?
We believe that the impact Big Role Models can have on central Arkansas is immeasurable. When teenagers believe in something and work together, mountains can be moved. Awareness is one of our mountains, and in this case, children who, for one reason or another, do not have the opportunity to reach their goals. The awareness created by the Big Role Model Program about what BBBSCA is doing can be the difference in their success.
And for every child who succeeds, our community receives a fully functioning member of society who gives back so much more than BBBSCA invested in them. That return is felt for generations.
For more information on how to get involved or to be come a Big Role Model, click here.