Big Brothers Big Sisters of East Tennessee has received a $10,000 grant from the UPS Foundation in support of its Mentor 2.0 program at South-Doyle High School.
Mentor 2.0 kicked off at the beginning of the 2017-2018 school year with BBBS choosing South-Doyle as the ideal high school to launch the program because it is fed primarily by one middle school, which means students who may benefit from the program can be identified during eighth grade and offered the opportunity to join a cohort starting in their freshman year.
BBBS has a team of match-support specialists and program coordinators in place at SDHS.
Students who sign up for Mentor 2.0 are matched with adult mentors who can guide and encourage them as they take on projects that help prepare them for life beyond high school. The technology-enriched program focuses on college readiness and success for high school students, many of whom will be first-generation college students. Mentors and mentees participate in weekly activities, discussing important topics such as professionalism, perseverance, self-advocacy, college financial aid and career choices.
“We are grateful for the UPS Foundation’s vital support of the Mentor 2.0 program,” said BBBS-ETN CEO Brent Waugh. “This investment will provide East Tennessee youth with a life-changing friendship that maximizes their success after high school. Together with the UPS Foundation, we’ll clear a path to the biggest possible futures for hundreds of Knox County students.”
Established in 1951 and based in Atlanta, the UPS Foundation identifies specific areas where its backing clearly impacts social issues. Its focus areas for giving are volunteerism, diversity, community safety and the environment.
“The UPS Foundation is honored to support Big Brothers Big Sisters of East Tennessee’s efforts to provide mentors to youth in the Mentor 2.0 program,” said Eduardo Martinez, president of the UPS Foundation and chief diversity and inclusion officer at UPS. “Our goal is to fund powerful programs that make a lasting difference to the global community.”
In 2017, UPS and its employees, active and retired, invested more than $118 million in charitable giving around the world.