Big Brother Big Sisters of America Launches Groundbreaking Research on the Long-Term Impacts of Mentorship

Grand Island, NE – (February 3, 2025) – On January 28, Big Brothers Big Sisters of America (BBBSA) – the preeminent one-to-one youth mentoring organization in the United States – released a ground breaking study on the transformative power of mentorship in shaping young people’s educational, economic, and social trajectories. Conducted by leading researchers from Harvard University and the U.S. Department of Treasury, this first-of-its-kind study reveals how mentorship programs like Big Brothers Big Sisters can serve as a scalable solution to reduce socioeconomic disparities over time.
This research, rooted in three decades of data, provides compelling evidence that mentorship delivers long-lasting benefits:

Increased Earnings: Participants experienced a 15% boost in earnings between the ages of 20 and 25, reflecting enhanced economic mobility. The income of mentored youth as adults was more closely aligned with the income of their mentor than their family, helping to reduce the socioeconomic gap by two-thirds Higher College Attendance: Mentored youth are 20% more likely to attend college compared to non-mentored peers Improved Behavior: Within 18 months, mentored youth reported lower absenteeism and fewer school suspensions.

Healthier Social Outcomes: Mentored youth exhibit improved behaviors and stronger social bonds, leading to a reduced dependency on social services and long-term societal improvements . “This new research is powerful. We see the impact of mentoring every day – it provides healing, increase success in schools and personal relationships - but to be able to show the economic impact of investing in relationships for young people is game changing.” Brenna Poindexter, Executive Director These findings come at a critical time for youth and families in Grand Island and central Nebraska.
 
While Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Nebraska serves youth in Hall, Hamilton, Howard, and Merrick counties, most students attend school at Grand Island Public Schools where 65% of students are economically disadvantaged. On average, 80% of youth enrolled in BBBS of Central Nebraska’s programs face economic disadvantages.

While previous studies suggest youth must fully change their social environment to increase economic opportunity, this study is the first to identify community mentorship as a low-cost solution that offers the same results. With BBBS programming costs at approximately $2,000 to $3,000 per year per youth, the increased lifetime earnings of mentored youth and related tax revenue would allow the government to recoup costs within just seven years, making it one of the most cost-effective youth interventions.

The research builds upon a landmark 1991 randomized control trial (RCT) conducted by Public/Private Ventures and Mathematica Policy Research, extending the analysis into the 2020s by linking administrative data from BBBS to U.S. tax records. This robust approach provides unprecedented insight into the lifelong impacts of mentorship on education, employment, and social identity.

The study focuses on matched youth between the ages of 10 and 14 who applied to a BBBS community-based mentoring program in the early 1990s. Participants came from diverse backgrounds, with 60%being male and more than half identifying as racial minorities. Most participants lived in single-parent households or with guardians.

To learn more, visit www.bbbs.org/impact.