WHO: University of Pennsylvania President Amy Gutmann

Big Brothers Big Sisters of Southeastern Pennsylvania CEO
Marlene Olshan

Sr. Constance Marie, IHM, Co-Principal St. Francis de Sales School

WHAT: 1000th Big Brothers Big Sisters at Penn match

WHERE: St. Francis de Sales School, at 47th St. and Springfield Ave.

WHEN: Monday, November 24, 3:15-3:45 p.m.

In September 2003, the Fox Leadership Program at Penn launched a school-based mentoring program in partnership with Big Brothers Big Sisters of Southeastern Pennsylvania. The program matches Penn undergraduates with elementary- and middle-school students from eight schools and a community center.

The program has grown from 30 matches in 2003-2004 to a projected 450 matches by the end of this school year. The program made its 1,000 match this month pairing a Penn undergraduate with a student from St. Francis de Sales School.

The partnership combines traditional mentoring with a structured academic component. Matches in the pilot program divide their time between mentoring and a financial-literacy curriculum with lessons on money management, credit and savings, education/career planning and more.

The Penn program is the largest campus-based Big Brothers Big Sisters program in the United States. In addition, Penn undergraduates are the local agency’s largest single source of volunteers.