Big Sky Buddies
The Big Sky School Program is a partnership between Big Brothers Big Sisters Big Sky Branch and the Big Sky Schools. Started in the spring of 2012 between Lone Peak High School and Ophir Elementary School, high school students were matched with children in grades k-6 on a one-to-one basis. The purpose of the program is to form a friendship between the volunteer (Big) and the child (Little) to assist the Little with social skills, academics and self-esteem.
Volunteers are matched with Littles in a supervised setting in Ophir Elementary School, typically once a week during the academic year. Teachers and counselors identify children who can benefit most from interaction with a caring adult. As their friendships evolve, volunteers and children discover ways to make school and learning fun.
Our impact on education
With the help of our donors, volunteers and partners, Big Brothers Big Sisters makes a Big impact on children’s education. The effect has been confirmed by study after study and can be tracked and monitored using our best-in-class measurement tools.
Our impact on education is evident in longstanding research conducted by Public Private Ventures in 1992 and 1993. When comparing those children matched with a Big Brothers Big Sisters mentor to those waiting to be served by Big Brothers Big Sisters, these researchers found that:
- Littles skipped half as many days of school as did their peers.
- Littles felt more competent about doing schoolwork.
- Littles skipped fewer classes than did their peers.
Children that are in school, in class, and engaged in their work are more likely to succeed.
What our current Littles say
In a 2009, we commissioned industry leader Civic Enterprises to conduct a nationwide survey of our Bigs and Littles. The results speak volumes about the passion for education held by children enrolled in Big Brothers Big Sisters programs:
- 97% of Littles said working hard in school is very important.
- 95% of Littles said going to school and getting a good education is very important.
- 94% of Littles said graduating from college is very important.
Children that work hard, recognize the value of education, and set their aspirations towards college are more likely to succeed. Children that graduate from high school, perform well in school, realize achievements greater than their expectations are successful in school and in life.
67% of former Littles surveyed agree that their Big played a role in their decision to attend college.