Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Arizona (BBBSAZ) has been awarded funding from Big Brothers Big Sisters of America in partnership with the American Express Foundation. This funding will further BBBSAZ youth mentoring initiatives to strengthen youth in our Big Futures High School Mentoring Program. This investment will support the work of BBBSAZ to provide youth with early exposure to career options and holistic preparation for college and careers in the future workplace. One of the main goals of this grant is engage with American Express employees at the local company and for youth to participate in career exploration activities. These activities will create important local community connections. Fostering opportunities for youth to expand access to career pathways opportunities and programs is a cornerstone of the Big Futures program.
We currently have over 300 high school youth, ages 15-19, participating in the Big Futures program. The focus of the Big Futures program is to have every participant graduate from high school and enroll in college, enlist in the armed forces or become gainfully employed by the time they exit the program. Through this program BBBSAZ provides resources and opportunities for college admission, academic financial aid and scholarships, career or workforce development opportunities, military service, and professional and technical training programs. By providing intentional mentoring for teenage youth at risk of disengagement and delinquency, we can prevent these issues before they start, mitigate problems that have already begun, set them on the path to graduate high school, and change the trajectory of their lives forever. Youth and their Big Mentors are supported by a team of BBBSAZ Program Specialists.
BBBSAZ would like to sincerely thank Big Brothers Big Sisters of America and the American Express Foundation for their generous support of Big Futures mentoring in Arizona.
