A widely implemented community-based mentoring program for disadvantaged youth.
[Disclosure: Arnold Ventures provided funding for one of the two RCTs (Dubois, Herrera, et.al.).]
Big Brothers Big Sisters of America is the largest mentoring organization in the United States, with over 230 agencies serving 109,254 youths nationwide in 2020. Community-Based Mentoring is the organization’s flagship program. The program matches youth age 6-18, predominantly from low-income, single-parent households, with adult volunteer mentors who are typically young (20-34) and well-educated (the majority are college graduates).
The youth’s parent/guardian applies for his or her child to be matched with a mentor through a written application and child/parent interview. Potential mentors are screened by a Big Brothers Big Sisters caseworker through a personal interview, home visit, and criminal, background, and reference check to ensure that they are not a safety risk and are likely to form a positive relationship with the youth. Prior to a match being made, the youth and parent meet with the potential mentor; the match’s completion requires the parent’s approval.
The mentor and youth typically meet 2-4 times per month for at least a year and engage in activities of their choosing (e.g. studying, cooking, playing sports). The typical meeting lasts 3-4 hours.
For the first year, Big Brothers Big Sisters case workers maintain monthly contact with the mentor, as well as the youth and his or her parent, to ensure a positive mentor-youth match, and to help resolve any problems in the relationship. Mentors are encouraged to form a supportive friendship with the youth and not seek to modify the youth’s behavior or character.
The program’s total cost per youth is approximately $4,000 to $6,000 (2026 dollars), based on the estimates described in the studies below.