Big Brothers Big Sisters of America (BBBSA) is a well-known youth mentoring organization with a mission to create and support one-to-one mentoring relationships for the next generation. To celebrate the milestone of 120 years, they are announcing two new Game Changers: Cynthia Erivo and Ava DuVernay.
“Every young person deserves a champion that can see the good in them… because when someone sees a young person’s potential, everything is possible,” Erivo said in a statement.
Big Brothers Big Sisters’ evidence-based approach is designed to create positive youth outcomes, including educational success, avoidance of risky behaviors, higher aspirations, greater confidence, and improved relationships. Big Brothers Big Sisters serves more than 5,000 communities across all 50 states.
“You don’t get to be that old as an organization without adapting, and one of the things that’s really beautiful is that mentorship is really baked into part of our origins,” said Chief Impact Officer Ginneh Baugh.
“One of the amazing things about adding folks like Cynthia [and Ava] to the mix is you see both their stardom and their substance, you see their journey and their commitment to community, and so they are coming in as champions to really change the game on what folks think mentoring should be,” Baugh told EBONY.
With an active agenda to help the next generation, research shows that over 10 million young people live in “opportunity deserts” without access to supportive adults, networks and resources. BBBSA realized these barriers fuel the youth mental health crisis and limit upward mobility, particularly in rural communities and communities of color and wanted to have a hand in that change.
“We were really founded out of the juvenile justice system and making sure that there was an opportunity for youth to have an alternative [instead] of sending them into that system,” Baugh told EBONY. “So, it really meant society and people were stepping forward, and this is another one of those moments that people are stepping forward to say yes to supporting youth and yes to really making a stronger community.”
BBBSA’s Game Changers initiative is a platform for influential voices to share their experiences, build connections, and amplify the power of mentorship to further impact young people and their communities. With Erivo and DuVernay being added to the roster, new mentees can expect elevation and bonding at the organization.
In addition to this momentous addition, BBBSA will host The BIG Benefit on November 19th to celebrate their landmark anniversary and kickoff a new programmatic initiative—”One Big Vision”— that is described as a “five-point plan to reach 10 million more kids with life-changing mentorship.” Honorees include Changemakers Bozoma Saint John, Hall of Fame Marketer, Author, and Entrepreneur, Andreas C. Dracopoulos, Co-President of the Stavros Niarchos Foundation, Roger Goodell, NFL Commissioner, Bob Pittman, Chairman and CEO of iHeartMedia, and Harvey Schwartz, CEO of Carlyle.