iMentor has a rich history of collaborating with local nonprofits to implement our mentoring program in their communities. Since 2007, partner organizations have adopted iMentor’s model and matched more than 17,000 students with mentors.
We recently sat down with Terrence McCarron, chief program officer of Big Brothers Big Sisters of Eastern Massachusetts, to talk about BBBS Eastern Mass’s experience with iMentor. BBBS Eastern Mass (BBBSEM) has partnered with iMentor since 2016.
How does iMentor help you better serve your community?
Partnering with iMentor has enabled BBBSEM to serve our high school aged population with an evidence-based and developmentally sound approach. iMentor has enabled our mentor2.0 program to directly address a key community need and activate a large network of values-aligned civic institutions and individuals around the shared goal of providing support and guidance to our young leaders.
What kind of impact has mentor2.0 had on your program?
Our iMentor-supported work has attracted seminal partners in the Boston Public School system and, as a result of these high-impact relationships, BBBSEM has attracted unique funding, key corporate alliances and thriving community partnerships. iMentor has been a key collaborator as we define and pursue a strategy that will bring quality mentoring to our students.
In a year filled with challenges for so many people, how has the mentor2.0 program helped your mentors provide the support that students need the most?
The events of this past year, related to Covid-19 and to racial injustice, have left our students vulnerable in many ways. Our team of mentors, led by our staff, have responded brilliantly over this past year by finding unique ways to meaningfully connect with their mentees, overcoming significant access limitations, and by raising their consciousness and empathy in order to fulfill the demands of their vital role in these times.
What is most exciting about your partnership with iMentor?
Foremost, it is a joy to participate in the success of young people in our community and to celebrate the daily achievements of the students who participate in our mentor2.0 program. Organizationally, the most exciting part of our partnership with iMentor is collaborating with progressive thought leaders who are finding innovative ways to rally communities around student wellness. We feel lucky to have the iMentor team supporting the quality of our work.
Learn how iMentor works with partner programs. Read about how Kendra, a mentor through Big Brothers Big Sisters of Greater Pittsburgh, got to know her mentee, Iris, and how they have been navigating the COVID-19 crisis together.
