Indianapolis ORG Magazine

Measurable Impact;
Lifetime Friendship
by Tonja Eagan

   With the help of endorsements from celebrities, athletes, political figures and more, the power of mentoring has made its way to forefront as a way to “pay it forward” and empower and encourage youth just as many of us had the benefit of caring adults mentoring us as we grew up. And while there are many great mentoring programs, Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Indiana (BBBSCI) is focused on creating one-to-one mentoring relationships between a child and a caring adult that will have a measurable impact that lasts a lifetime.
   In 2009, BBBSCI launched an Alumni Association in an effort to reconnect with former Big and Little Brothers and Sisters, board members, staff, supporters and parents/caregivers of Littles. We received correspondence from former Little Brothers and Little Sisters who shared their success stories and informed us that they were still in contact with their Big Brother or Big Sister. Many shared memories of how much they appreciated the time and attention given to them by their mentor. The relationship was a friendship that transformed their lives.
   One of the success stories we received put a personal touch on data that was compiled through a 2009 study conducted by Harris Interactive®. The study found that adults mentored as children through Big Brothers Big Sisters are 75% more likely than peers with similar backgrounds, but who were not involved in the program, to have earned a four-year college degree and 39% more likely than peers to have household incomes of $75,000 or more!
   Jarod Darlington, an alumnus Little Brother, was matched in 1988 with his Big Brother Dan Bowden. Jarod and Dan’s relationship is one of many stories that provide testimony to the results found in the alumni research. Jarod had experienced being let down by men in his life and as a young boy he yearned for a reliable male role model. Although he had reservations about believing in a man as a friend, Jarod agreed to give Dan a try. Jarod admits he came close to falling in with the wrong crowd, but he credits Big Brother Dan for keeping him on the right track by being someone he looked up to, trusted and could talk to about any of the problems he faced.
   Fast-forward 22 years to today and Jarod is a contractor for the State of Indiana and has a wife and two children. Jarod is able to refl ect on his relationship with his mentor and use what he learned from Dan in his life. Jarod coaches his son’s football team and has been able to share many of the lessons he learned from Dan with the team. “Dan taught me how to take a negative situation and turn it into a positive one,” said Jarod. “I have used his voice to keep the boys positive even when we were down on the scoreboard.”
   Jarod and Dan keep in close contact and recently shared one of life’s milestones together. Dan, a realtor, helped Jarod fi nd a home to buy that will enable Jarod to send his children to a good school.
   When Jarod and Dan’s story came to us last fall, it was amazing how closely it paralleled the data from the study conducted by Harris Interactive®. In addition to the data on household income, Jarod’s story matched
what the data showed in regard to education, involvement in the community and having strong relationships with spouses, children and friends. Harris Interactive’s research on adults who were formerly Little Brothers and Little Sisters for a year or more while growing up, also showed that a high majority of alumni are extremely satisfi ed with their relationships to friends, family and spouses. Adult Littles are more likely than non-alumni to be engaged in their community over the past 12 months, particularly when it comes to volunteering (52% vs. 35%, respectively) and holding a leadership role in an organization working on an issue (29% vs. 16%, respectively).
   Now, more than ever, boys and girls need the friendship of caring adults. We especially have a need for Big Brothers, just like Dan, to take the time to help someone, just like Jarod. We also have an opportunity that allows a Big Couple to mentor a boy in our community. In just four hours a month, you can encourage a youth to achieve their dreams. Visit our Web site today to sign up to become a mentor or make a financial contribution to support our efforts to recruit more mentors. ▪

BBBSCI Joins State-Wide Mentoring Partnership

   A new statewide partnership is being launched to recruit mentors for Hoosier children, with a long range goal of addressing Indiana’s lagging high school graduation rate and high dropout rate. The Indiana Mentoring Partnership grew out of discussions the Indiana Youth Institute (IYI) began having with interested parties including Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Indiana.
   “The goal of the Indiana Mentoring Partnership is to heighten awareness of mentoring and to recruit new mentors for existing mentoring programs in Indiana,” said IYI President and CEO Bill Stanczykiewicz.
   Look and listen for the The Indiana Mentoring Partnership public service announcements featuring Coach Painter and Coach Crean, the men’s basketball coaches at Purdue University and Indiana University, respectively. The messages encourage Hoosiers to become mentors and to look for mentoring opportunities in their area by logging on to the Indiana Mentoring Partnership’s Web site, abetterhour.org.

After School Special

   This February, United Way of Central Indiana (UWCI) will again host 25 high school students from Central Indiana [from Boone, Hamilton, Hancock, Hendricks, Marion and Morgan Counties] eager to learn more about what it means to serve your community. Now in its 15th year, the Youth Leadership Initiative trains our young scholars about philanthropy and giving, board responsibilities, meeting procedures, diversity, consensus and team building, community issues, personal mission and more.

“It helps young people develop specific leadership skills and contacts that can help them in the job market and in their civic life. It helps youth-serving and other nonprofit organizations have a larger pool of talent to draw upon as they strive to achieve age diversity. And, it provides our community’s nonprofits with the energy, passion and idealism that young people bring.”

- Paula Shepley, Director, Youth Leadership Initiative

Students are invited, without cost, to apply for the YLI each year [by November, usually], however once accepted, a nominal fee is charged to each participant. Classes and activities are scheduled outside the school day and begin with an opening overnight retreat, followed by fi ve Saturday sessions between February and April. Special opportunities are provided for graduates of the program to serve on local nonprofit boards or committees.

Learn more at www.uwci.org/yli

Teach Your Children Well
by T. Christopher Moore

While volunteering with Project K.I.D., a national nonprofit emergency childcare preparedness organization, 15-year-old Jacob Allen Baldwin learned about Project K.I.D.’s Play Care capability, which provides respite childcare for emergency victims. The Carmel resident decided to help fi ll this gap of care in his [Hamilton County] community. 
   After working to obtain $3,000 in grant money and donations from local merchants, Jacob created a kit that would be activated in emergencies by Riverview Hospital to care for fi rst responders’ children, allowing them greater flexibility to work in times of disaster. Because of the success of his work, Project K.I.D. is now replicating the model at multiple hospitals in Indiana and around the country. Additionally, Jacob’s team designed an affordable portable fencing system that is lightweight, requires minimal storage space, and can be easily erected, allowing the improvement of the safe perimeter that is critical to Play Care sites. Jacob’s project is making a difference by raising awareness of the needs of children in disasters and demonstrating a viable solution that can be implemented both locally and nationally.
   Baldwin, like many of his young peers, are shining examples of how youth can be powerful allies in the ongoing effort to enrich our communities and improve the lives of others, and with an estimated $41 trillion of inheritance at stake over the next five decades, community and corporate leaders are finally waking up to the fact that it’s a value that must be handed down to future generations. How? Start early.
   Several Central Indiana organizations have already had success, making impact with programming and events centered around early engagement of youth, for the specifi c purpose of teaching ‘pay it forward’ principles. The Women’s Fund of Central Indiana, a fund of the Central Indiana Community Foundation, has adopted such a philosophy, but taking it one step further by sponsoring their increasingly popular “Go: Give Back” program, now entering its 10th year. “Go” introduces girls [and boys] to philanthropy and helps them establish a permanently endowed fund they may use to support community organizations throughout their life.
   Keeping youth engaged long-term is also key according to the Indianapolis Alliance of Youth Mentoring Agencies, a group that has long served the needs of at-risk youth in our communities. Introducing a philanthropic philosophy and allowing a young person to see it through to a result can be powerful enough on its own, but reinforcement through recognition can also be influential, further empowering them with the desire to do more.
   The Children’s Museum of Indianapolis discovered this five years ago when they first presented their dynamic exhibit The Power of Children: Making a Difference. The exhibit was a moving experience, focusing on three nationally and internationally known extraordinary young people [Anne Frank, Ruby Bridges and Ryan White] who touched the world in unique ways. The exhibit inspired the Museum to create The Power of Children Awards, presented annually to Hoosier middle- and high school students, to recognize the extraordinary acts and philanthropic spirit of young people making a difference today, like Jacob.
   Dr. Jeffrey Patchen, president and CEO of The Children’s Museum of Indianapolis says, “The Power of Children Awards remain a unique and important way to recognize the powerful work that young people accomplish. These youth have touched lives locally, nationally and internationally and this award will allow them to continue their work of making a difference in the world.”
   Last year, The Children’s Museum of Indianapolis honored six youth role models who exemplified an extraordinary commitment to public service and social responsibility. During the November awards presentation, the 2009 winners each received a $2,000 grant courtesy of the Kroger Foundation to extend the depth and reach of their extraordinary projects. Winners also received a Sam H. Jones Community Service Scholarship to be used for postsecondary education at Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI) or a scholarship for the University of Indianapolis. ▪