“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.

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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