Big Brothers Big Sisters launches Big Futures mentoring pilot at Quincy High; 76 students enrolled so far

Big Brothers Big Sisters of Eastern Massachusetts presented its Big Futures mentoring pilot at Quincy High during the Jan. 8 Quincy Public Schools meeting, saying the program has signed 76 students and already matched about 65 of them with adult mentors.

The program pairs each high-school student (“little”) with an adult mentor (“big”) in a 1-to-1 relationship that begins in freshman year and continues through senior year, with an optional postsecondary support component up to age 25. Speakers described monthly on-campus events, monthly mentor check-ins, and a scope of career-exposure field trips planned for the spring (PA Consulting, Blueprint Biotechnology, Google) and an end-of-year celebration on campus.

Erin Gordon, identified in the presentation as the Quincy High program coordinator, said staff recruit mentors from the South Shore and Boston companies and work with school counselors to target students who may benefit from mentoring. “This generous collaboration has significantly enriched our school community,” Erin Gordon said. Aaron Gordon, the program coordinator who described fall events, said the program is averaging about 50 students per monthly event and highlighted a match in which a student and mentor are already discussing how to respond to bullying — an example cited as early evidence of impact.

Program leaders described an intentional matching process: guardians, mentors and students are onboarded, mentors and program staff conduct monthly support calls, and mentors and students are encouraged to arrange outings in the community subject to safety guidelines. The program’s scope and sequence includes career exposure in sophomore year and internship/resume preparation in junior and senior year.

Speakers reported recruitment and match numbers: 76 students signed up districtwide for the Quincy cohort, with about 65 matches completed. Program staff said they are actively recruiting additional mentors — particularly BIPOC mentors and male mentors of color — to better match student preferences and needs. The presentation also noted the organization’s multi-year growth: a community-based program in Quincy had produced 62 matches over prior years; the current effort produced 76 matches in a single recent period.

Superintendent Dr. Perkins thanked the Big Brothers Big Sisters staff and said the initiative was brought to the district’s attention by school leadership; the superintendent said the partnership is part of district work to address chronic absenteeism and other student supports. Committee members praised the program and asked about expansion to North Quincy High; presenters said the current effort is a pilot at Quincy High with plans to explore expansion districtwide.

Program staff said Big Brothers Big Sisters covers most of the program cost and Quincy Public Schools contributes a small portion; they invited committee members and community partners to recruit mentors and to attend the program’s end-of-year celebration.

No formal vote was associated with the presentation; committee members expressed gratitude and asked follow-up questions about scaling and mentor recruitment.