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Big Brothers Big Sisters of America (BBBSA) – the preeminent one-to-one youth mentoring organization in the United States – released a groundbreaking study [https://www.bbbs.org/impact] 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 national study serves as a powerful testament to the transformative impact of mentorship," says Amy Rote, President & CEO of Big Brothers Big Sisters (BBBS) of South-Central PA. "The data reinforces what we’ve seen firsthand: mentoring doesn’t just create opportunities; it changes the trajectory of a young person’s life. When we empower youth through mentorship, we are investing in their ability to contribute to society, break barriers, and achieve lasting success."

These findings are vital to BBBS of South-Central PA youth and families because throughout the organization’s 7-county service region, workers with at least a high school diploma earn 9.97% more than workers without one; a worker with some college earns 25.77% more; and a worker with a bachelor's degree earns 66.17% more.

"We build long-term, stable relationships that help children successfully navigate the path to adulthood," says Rote. "Our goal is for every young person in our program to graduate high school and become enrolled, enlisted, or employed."

In BBBS of South-Central PA programs 82.43% of youth are confident they’ll graduate high school, 75.55% of Littles over the age of 15 plan to attend college and in 2024, 100% of high school seniors in the nonprofit’s South-Central PA programs graduated on time.

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 7 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.