Big Brothers Big Sisters to Receive Over $550,000 Grant for Mentoring

Georgetown, DE – Big Brothers Big Sisters of Delaware is set to receive $551,391 in grant money over the next three years from the U.S. Department of Education, Senator Tom Carper announced today. The money will provide coordinated, high-quality, intensive school-based mentoring services to the highest need students in grades four through eight within the Indian River School District. A major focus of this project is for mentors to work with their students not only for a minimum of 12 months, but to also follow them from one school year to the next through middle school and into high school. “As one who has mentored the same young man for over seven years, I know personally what a difference a mentor can make in the life of a young person,” said Senator Tom Carper. “I also know that it is not just the young person who benefits in the mentoring relationship, but the mentor as well. This money will go a long way in helping these children find a positive, stable role model in their lives.” As Governor, Carper helped recruit thousands of mentors as part of the Creative Mentoring program and was actively involved in recruiting individuals and corporations to mentor Delaware’s at-risk children. This grant will be used to promote mentoring programs for children with the greatest needs. The money will go toward programs to assist children in receiving support and guidance from a mentor, for improving the academic performance of students, for improving interpersonal relationships between children and their peers, teachers, and family members, and to reduce juvenile delinquency and involvement in gangs.