Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Indiana (BBBSCI) hosted its annual Big Futures Celebration: Match Graduation & Beyond, powered by AES Indiana, on Sunday, April 26, 2026.
This year, BBBSCI is excited to celebrate 66 mentoring relationships between Bigs and Littles who have been matched up to 10 years. Graduating mentoring relationships feature a Little who is graduating high school or turning 18 years old. BBBSCI is also overjoyed to award 18 Littles with scholarships for their next steps with scholarships totaling a record high of $71,500 awarded.
Each mentoring relationship is unique and special, and there are several young people who have
accomplished a myriad of events in their lives already – from a young person who is graduating as class valedictorian at their high school to a budding photographer who has begun taking professional photos at IHSAA events.
“AES Indiana is proud to once again serve as the presenting sponsor of BBBSCI’s Big Futures: Career & College Readiness program,” said Claire Rice, Senior Director of Corporate Affairs & Impact at AES Indiana. “We believe young people will power our future, and this program is helping open doors for students across Central Indiana. By connecting them to career exploration and college experiences, BBBSCI is making big dreams feel possible, and we’re honored to support that work.”
“The Big Futures Celebration is one of the most fulfilling events of the year for Big Brothers Big Sisters,” says Darcey Palmer-Shultz, CEO of BBBSCI. “It gives everybody involved the opportunity to reminisce about the past months and years that these mentors and mentees have committed to each other; celebrate the present accomplishment of graduating high school; and dream big for the impactful futures ahead for the awe-inspiring young people in our program. BBBSCI is grateful to have this moment that demonstrates the collective power of mentorship in one room, and we hope to share that with the community.”
BBBS has been a leader in mentorship for 120 years, and BBBSCI has served this community for 50+ years. We use evidence-based mentoring experiences that show that mentorship provides the opportunity to tackle challenges around mental and emotional wellbeing; academic achievement; economic mobility; and positive behaviors and development for young people.
Mental and Emotional Wellbeing
o The Need: According to the CDC, 40% of youth report feeling persistently sad or hopeless.
o The Proven Opportunity: Mentored youth saw a 16% growth in emotional regulation and a 20%
reduction in depressive symptoms compared to non-mentored youth.
Academic Achievement
o The Need: Districts report that roughly 22% of students missed 10% or more of school days in
the 2024-2025 school year.
o The Proven Opportunity: Mentored students are proven to attend school more regularly,
perform better academically, and exhibit fewer behavioral problems than their nonmentored peers.
Economic Mobility
o The Need: More than 75% of youth are concerned about having necessary employment skills,
and 74% of young adults lack access to a mentor.
o The Proven Opportunity: Mentored youth earn an average of $200,000 more in lifetime
earnings and are 20% more likely to enroll in college than their non-mentored peers.
Positive Behaviors and Development
o The Need: Young people who lack positive adult guidance face a significantly higher risk of
entering the justice system – a pathway with cascading consequences for their futures, their
families, and their communities.
o The Proven Opportunity: Mentored youth are 46% less likely to begin using illegal drugs, 27%
less likely to begin using alcohol, 54% less likely to be arrested, and 52% less likely to skip school
than non-mentored youth.
Being a mentor, or “Big,” through BBBSCI requires a one-year commitment to be matched with a mentee, or “Little.” Bigs and Littles meet twice a month, and together, they enjoy activities provided by BBBSCI and their partners or find activities within their community.
To learn more about becoming a Big, visit www.bebigforkids.org/volunteer.
To learn more about BBBSCI and this graduating class of mentoring relationships, visit www.bebigforkids.org/event/bigfuturescelebration/.
