Age range

Website: www.bbbsatl.org

Mission/Goals: Serving children from single parent families by placing them in mentoring relationships with carefully screened and trained adult volunteers.

Notes: BBBS offers several programs, including the core mentoring program and also a school-based mentoring program (Teach One), a Hispanic mentoring program (Hispanic Mentoring Initiative), a group mentoring program (A.L.L.), a mentoring program addressing teem pregnancy (Project Hope), and a mentoring program for children who have been affected by HIV/AIDS (Project C.A.R.E.).

Source(s): www.guidestar.org; www.bbbsatl.org; www.bbbsa.org

Type of Evaluation: Experimental

Note: The research sample did not include Atlanta programs.

Objective: To assess whether the program reduced anti-social activities, improved academic performance, improved family and peer relationships, improved self-esteem and increased cultural awareness.

Impact/Outcomes: The evaluation of the core program found that Big Brothers/Big Sisters participants were less likely to start using drugs and alcohol compared with controls. Participants were less likely to hit someone, had improved school attendance and performance, improved attitudes toward completing schoolwork, and had improved relationships with family and friends. Participants were not more likely to have an improved sense of self-esteem or increased cultural awareness.

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