“Beyond School Walls” program pairs local
middle school students with Comcast employees
Today Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Sun Coast and Comcast
launched a new program in partnership with Lee County Public
Schools that will help a group of Fort Myers Middle Academy
students gain a special learning experience outside the
classroom.
Fort Myers Middle Academy student and Big
Brothers Big Sisters of the Sun Coast "Little" Larkaysha Scott
walks the red carpet at the Beyond School Walls workplace
mentorship program kickoff at the Comcast Fort Myers call center.
(Photo: Business Wire)
At the “Beyond School Walls” program kickoff event, students
were treated like celebrities as they arrived in limousines and
strutted down a red carpet. US Congressman Curt Clawson and
Charisse R. Lillie, Vice President of Community Investment for
Comcast Corporation and President of the Comcast Foundation, spoke
to attendees about the positive impact mentoring can have on a
young person’s life. Lee County Public Schools Superintendent Dr.
Nancy Graham also addressed event attendees.
The 30 sixth grade students, known as “Littles,” will now meet
at least twice a month with Comcast employee, known as “Bigs,” at
Comcast’s Fort Myers office for one-to-one mentoring sessions. The
group will follow a program developed by teachers and Big Brothers
Big Sisters that focuses on specific academic and personal goals
for mentees. In addition, a curriculum centered on business ethics,
work-readiness, entrepreneurship, technology, and financial
literacy will also be part of this workplace mentorship
program.
“We applaud Comcast and Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Sun
Coast for their commitment to providing our youth with a valuable
opportunity to become better students and to help prepare them to
enter the working world,” said Representative Clawson. “I encourage
leaders in the local business community to learn more about this
program and how they too can prepare our community’s youth to
succeed and thrive.”
The students participating in the program were identified by the
school as those who could benefit most from the extra support of a
mentor. Factors for consideration included academic performance,
participation in extracurricular activities, interest in Science,
Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM), students living in
single-parent homes, homes where English is the second language
spoken, or students who will be the first in their families to
attend college.
“The relationships built through this mentoring program are
life-changing for both our employees and their Littles,” said
Lillie. “Not only do we see these children make improvements in
their grades and feelings about education, but our employees
greatly value the opportunity to give back to children in their
communities.”
At the event, Comcast also presented the nonprofit with a
$50,000 donation and renewed its commitment to air Public Service
Announcements (PSA’s) for the organization.
“Comcast has been a great supporter and partner of Big Brothers
Big Sisters of the Sun Coast for years. We are grateful for our
relationship and excited to see it grow through the launch of the
Beyond School Walls program,” said Big Brothers Big Sisters of the
Sun Coast President and CEO Joy Mahler. “We invite other Southwest
Florida companies to follow their lead and provide this workplace
mentoring opportunity for their employees.”
Beyond School Walls aims to help at-risk children reach their
fullest potential. Launched in 2008 at Comcast’s Philadelphia
headquarters, it is the nation’s largest workplace mentoring
program in partnership with Big Brothers Big Sisters of America,
with more than 300 mentoring matches this school year, including
the 30 matches in Fort Myers. Comcast NBCUniversal was recently
recognized for its outstanding contributions to advancing quality
mentoring opportunities for youth by MENTOR: The National Mentoring
Partnership (MENTOR) and the Corporation for National and Community
Service (CNCS).
“We’ve seen the reports about how the odds for succeeding in
school, staying out of trouble and becoming successful adults
improve for children with Big Brothers Big Sisters’ mentors,” said
Superintendent Dr. Graham. “When Big Brothers Big Sisters of the
Sun Coast invited us to be a part of this program, we could not
have been more pleased.”
Research shows that children in the Beyond School Walls program
have improved focus in school, improved grades, and a positive
change in attitudes or perceptions. Compared to other mentoring
programs run by Big Brothers Big Sisters, Comcast matches have a
higher 12-month retention rate (66% vs 42%), serve more male
Littles (48% vs 44%), and participating Littles are more diverse
(82% non-white vs 69%).
According to 2013 Big Brothers Big Sisters Youth Outcomes Survey
data, one year after being enrolled in the Comcast Beyond School
Walls program, Littles showed significant gains in educational
expectations and social acceptance. Eighty-seven percent of Comcast
mentees maintained or improved in outcomes related to educational
expectations.
About Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Sun Coast
Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Sun Coast provides one-to-one
mentoring relationships to children ages 6-18 years old throughout
the Gulf Coast of Florida in Sarasota, Manatee, DeSoto, Highlands,
Hardee, Charlotte, Lee, Collier, Glades and Hendry counties. Big
Brothers Big Sisters of the Sun Coast holds itself accountable for
children in its program to achieve measurable outcomes, such as
educational success; avoidance of risky behaviors; and higher
aspirations, greater confidence and better relationships. The
organization provides children facing adversity, often those of
single or low-income households or families with strong and
enduring, professionally supported one-to-one mentoring
relationships that change their lives for the better, forever. For
more information please visit: www.bbbssun.org.
About Comcast Corporation
Comcast Corporation (Nasdaq: CMCSA) (Nasdaq: CMCSK) is a global
media and technology company with two primary businesses, Comcast
Cable and NBCUniversal. Comcast Cable is the nation's largest
video, high-speed Internet and phone provider to residential
customers under the XFINITY brand and also provides these services
to businesses. NBCUniversal operates news, entertainment and sports
cable networks, the NBC and Telemundo broadcast networks,
television production operations, television station groups,
Universal Pictures and Universal Parks and Resorts. Visit
http://www.comcastcorporation.com for more information.
Photos/Multimedia Gallery Available:
http://www.businesswire.com/multimedia/home/20150123005649/en/
Comcast Florida RegionCindy Arco, 904-738-3412Public Relations
Managercynthia_arco@cable.comcast.comorBig Brothers Big Sisters of
the Sun CoastGina Taylor, 941-488-4009Vice President of Marketing
and Communicationsgtaylor@bbbssun.org
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