Statements
Mission
Mission: To create and support one-to-one mentoring relationships that ignite the power and promise of youth.
Vision: All youth achieve their full potential.
All of our programs and services are targeted toward low-income youth, particularly those growing up in single-caregiver homes. Across all of our programs, youth with trauma are our focus. Services are provided through three primary one-to-one mentoring programs:
- Community-Based Mentoring, where Bigs (mentors) and Littles (youth) meet weekly out in the community and the Big works alongside the parent or guardian for the growth of the child. Bigs and Littles spend 8-10+ hours together each month for a year or more, sharing activities such as library or museum visits, ball games, community service, and other everyday activities.
- Site/School-Based Mentoring, where Bigs and Littles (aged 6-16) meet once a week at a school or after-school facility during the school year. Matches share educational and recreational activities such as board games, arts & crafts, outdoor recreation, or schoolwork. Educational & recreational materials support matches, and students are encouraged toward social-emotional and academic growth.
- Site-Based Facilitated Mentoring: Bigs and Littles aged 6-18 are brought together in mentoring relationships outside of the traditional Community/Site-Based structures. We created this option to provide flexibility for mentoring relationships in response to changing conditions in our service area, while maintaining standards that produce positive outcomes for children and youth. Site-Based Facilitated programming includes E-mentoring, High School Bigs, Sports Buddies, and Big Cousins.
Background
In 1969, a group of young Nashville civic leaders and human service professionals shared a concern and a vision. The concern was the alarming number of young boys entering our juvenile justice system. The goal was to help improve outcomes for youth facing adversity through one-to-one mentoring relationships. Together, they formed Buddies of Nashville. Initially serving only boys, the organization quickly saw the need to mentor girls in Middle Tennessee. Always a Big Brothers Big Sisters of America Federation member, Buddies of Nashville officially adopted the name Big Brothers Big Sisters of Middle Tennessee in 1999 to reflect the 8-county area served. Our founders had foresight over fifty years ago. That group laid the groundwork to build a community-owned resource to support young people, families, and the community for generations. Since 1969, the agency has continued to adapt programming to best meet the needs of youth. It has positively impacted the lives of more than 25,000 young people in Middle Tennessee.
Big Brothers Big Sisters of America has been providing mentoring services for more than 100 years, and the Big Brothers Big Sisters mentoring model we employ is the national gold standard. This one-to-one mentoring model promotes emotional support, forms positive social skills, and cultivates protective behaviors as well as feelings of safety and security. It enhances academic skills and produces greater positive relationships with both family and peers. Research has consistently shown that overall, youth enrolled in BBBS programs are less likely to begin using illegal drugs, alcohol, and are less likely to skip school than their peers who are not in a one-to-one mentoring relationship through Big Brothers Big Sisters. Thorough volunteer screening, training, and ongoing agency supervision of matches set Big Brothers Big Sisters apart from other mentoring services. Big Brothers Big Sisters mentoring is an evidence-based practice, recognized nationally in the federal Office of Juvenile Justice & Delinquency Prevention's Model Programs Guide and in the National Registry of Evidence-Based Programs and Practices.
Impact
Research shows that youth with access to a positive mentor are two times more likely to be involved in and hold leadership positions in school clubs and sports. They are two times more likely to enroll in post-secondary education. Having a mentor helps youth avoid risky behavior, build confidence and self worth, have a strong sense of emotional wellness, graduate high school, and feel more socially accepted. Due to expanded social networks, mentees experience a 20% increase in upward economic mobility, and there is a 3:1 return for every $1 invested in mentoring. Big Brothers Big Sister's mission is not optional, but necessary for the greater good of the community. And the impact doesn't stop with youth. Being a mentor helps adults find fulfillment by giving back to their community; build pride in their knowledge and expertise; improve leadership and communication skills; expand their perspective; and build authentic relationships.
2023-24 Impact:
- 796 total youth served
-175 new mentoring matches made
- 92% of youth reported satisfaction with their match.
- 87% of youth said they feel close to their Big.
- 90% of youth reported that their relationship with their Big is important to them.
- 138 youth were served in our college/career readiness focused E-mentoring program. An additional 40 students took part in group mentoring and received instruction led by BBBSMT staff. This year of tremendous growth has made 2023-24 the largest in the program's 5-year history.
- 60 youth mentors participated in our High School Bigs training program. They learned skills in trauma-informed care, active listening, and other important life skills, gaining tools they'll need to succeed as future leaders and workers.
- 43 waiting youth were served as soon as they crossed our threshold through the new and innovative Big Cousins program, where we begin building relationships and preparing Littles for the mentoring experience.
-108 of our young people graduated high school as part of the class of 2024. We held our second annual Big Graduation event to celebrate their accomplishments at Geodis Park.
2023-24 Outcomes:
Youth served by our programs have shown to either maintain or improve their outcomes in a number of areas linked to mental health. These successes are linked to important long-term outcomes like reduced risk taking, reduced violence, academic achievements, and vocational success. Given the challenges many of your youth and families face, having the support they need to maintain in these areas is critical.
- 97% maintained or improved emotional regulation
- 93% maintained or improved academic performance
- 95% maintained or improved ability to set goals for the future
- 89% maintained or improved avoidance of risky behaviors
Needs
1. Our services are free to the children, families, and volunteers we serve. But operating a high-quality mentoring program requires professional staff, sophisticated data management systems, thorough volunteer screening and child safety mechanisms, continual volunteer recruitment efforts, professional training, match activities, and ongoing caseworker support. We must raise significant funds in order to serve more youth in our community with high-quality, safe mentoring relationships. Your financial investment in Big Brothers Big Sisters of Middle Tennessee allows us to be nimble and thoughtful in how we recruit mentors, sustain their involvement, and empower the potential of youth in our programs.
2. At any given time, there are dozens of Middle Tennessee young people in urgent need that have asked for a mentor...and are waiting. They have the potential to change the world, and we are standing together to defend it. Your friendship and encouragement can ignite the powers of creativity and possibility for a young person. Please join us as an ally in defending their potential.
CEO Statement
Our Big Community,
Big Brothers Big Sisters of Middle Tennessee is a community resource belonging to no one person or group. But rather, this organization is a tool through which individuals can come together to invest in our most precious resource--our young people.
Families enroll their children with a trusted partner. Youth set goals for themselves that a caring adult can support. Community volunteers bring their time, experience, and care as mentors. Professional staff support skill-building and healthy relationship development. Investors see the potential of our rising citizens and leaders. Volunteers invest their time and expertise as board members to guide the organization.
Together, WE are building a more caring and connected community where young people thrive.
As you look through our data, the numbers tell a story and represent people, relationships, and community. You'll see families that have built connections with agency staff and Bigs, reducing their stress through expanded support. Bigs who've developed mentoring skill sets and increased their well-being through building confidence and links to others. And young people who are empowered to achieve educational success, social and emotional health, connections and belonging, and learning to make good decisions.
Our collective efforts support young folks as they build their future. Through the experience of a healthy and productive mentoring relationship, youth are on a path to graduate high school and pursue a plan for their future, including being enrolled in post-secondary education, employed or enlisted, and doing so with improved well-being and mental health.
We are honored and excited to link arms with you to create community-level transformation and opportunities for upward economic and social mobility. Cheers to another year of investing in our future leaders!
Onward and upward together,
Melissa Hudson-Gant, CEO
Board Chair Statement
Every child in Middle Tennessee would benefit from having a mentor in their daily life to help guide them in the right direction. Unfortunately, many kids today are faced with growing up in a single parent household and where a one-to-one mentoring relationship is not available. Big Brothers Big Sisters of Middle Tennessee is working very hard to help change this situation by matching caring adult volunteers (Bigs) with kids in need (Littles). The work of this agency and others like it can change the outcome of kids that may otherwise fall through the cracks of society. The one-to-one mentoring relationship with a kid in need is as fulfilling for the Big as it has the potential to be for the Little. It has been proven one to one mentoring works. It makes a difference in everything from improving grades in school to their self-confidence. There are many different ways in which to get involved and help us achieve our mission. If you want to help make a difference in the life of a child in need, please contact the agency today. The rewards of your involvement are immeasurable.
Service Categories |
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| Primary Category: | Youth Development - Big Brothers, Big Sisters |
| Secondary Category: | Human Services - Children's and Youth Services |
| Tertiary Category: | - |
Areas Served
Big Brothers Big Sisters of Middle Tennessee serves children all across Middle Tennessee in Metro Nashville/Davidson county as well as Cheatham, Dickson, Robertson, Rutherford, Sumner, Williamson, and Wilson counties.
| TN - Cheatham |
| TN - Davidson |
| TN - Dickson |
| TN - Robertson |
| TN - Rutherford |
| TN - Sumner |
| TN - Williamson |
| TN - Wilson |
