Big Brothers Big Sisters, Comcast and Streamwood High School Partner to help Kids Succeed through Mentoring

Comcast Latest Illinois Company to Champion Big Brothers Big Sisters’ “Beyond School Walls” Program…

Big Brothers Big Sisters of Metropolitan Chicago and Comcast joined together today with Streamwood village president Billie D. Roth and Streamwood High School principal Terri Lozier to officially launch an innovative on-site workplace mentoring partnership called “Beyond School Walls.”  The program’s mission is to help young people succeed in school and in life.  As part of the program, nine Streamwood High School students will visit Comcast’s Greater Chicago Region headquarters in Schaumburg every other week throughout the school year and meet with assigned Comcast mentors.  The mentors talk with the students and participate in pre-planned activities geared toward avoidance of risk taking behavior, socio-emotional competence, and academic success.  The program is designed to keep students in school, out of trouble, and on the path to graduation and post-graduate success.

“Comcast is proud to participate in the Beyond School Walls program and to help these students begin to pursue their dreams,” said Matthew Summy, Vice President of Government and Community Relations for Comcast’s Greater Chicago Region.  “Beyond School Walls fits well with Comcast’s community investment focus, which includes promoting community service, expanding digital literacy, and building tomorrow’s leaders.”

“Big Brothers Big Sisters of Metropolitan Chicago is grateful to Comcast for its overall commitment to the agency and to company employees for giving so much of their time to the students,’” said Arthur Mollenhauer, CEO, Big Brothers Big Sisters of Metropolitan Chicago.  “Corporate partnerships like the one we have with Comcast help us deliver on our mission of providing every child an opportunity to succeed in life.”

Mollenhauer added that by becoming a program partner, Comcast is serving as a “role model” for other businesses in the Chicago area and throughout the country.

“On behalf of the village, I want to thank Comcast and Big Brothers Big Sisters of Chicago for choosing to work with students from Streamwood,” said Streamwood village president Billie D. Roth. “This is a terrific group of kids who will enjoy and benefit greatly from the mentoring they receive through the program.”

Comcast and Big Brothers and Big Sisters first launched the Beyond School Walls program in 2008 in Philadelphia and today it is the nation’s largest workplace mentoring program.  Including this newest site in Chicago, more than 300 Comcast employees serve as “Bigs” to Big Brothers Big Sisters “Littles” in 13 Comcast offices in cities such as Hartford, CT; Manchester, NH; Minneapolis; Nashville; and Seattle.  In addition to participating in Beyond School Walls, Comcast has provided the organization airtime for public service announcements, program sponsorships, national and local board members, and leadership development and training opportunities for the organization’s staff.   Since 2008, Comcast has committed more than $47 million in cash and in-kind support to Big Brothers Big Sisters of America, mostly by providing airtime for public service announcements.

About Comcast Corporation

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.  Comcast has invested in technology to build an advanced network that delivers among the fastest broadband speeds, and brings customers personalized video, communications and home management offerings.  Comcast Corporation (Nasdaq: CMCSA, CMCSK) is a global media and technology company.  Visit www.comcastcorporation.com for more information.

With more than 7,000 local employees, Comcast’s Greater Chicago Region serves customers in central and northern Illinois, including the Chicago area, northwest Indiana and southwest Michigan.  “Like” Comcast’s Greater Chicago Region on Facebook by visiting Comcast of Illinois, NW Indiana and SW Michigan.  “Follow” Comcast’s Greater Chicago Region on Twitter at @ComcastIllinois.  Text XVIPFB to 47211 to become an Xfinity VIP and receive texts about Xfinity services and discounts on local events.

About Big Brothers Big Sisters of Metropolitan Chicago

Big Brothers Big Sisters of Metropolitan Chicago helps children realize their potential and build their futures by matching at-risk youth (Littles) in one-to-one mentoring relationships with positive, caring, screened, and trained adult mentors (Bigs). An affiliate of Big Brothers Big Sisters of America, Big Brothers Big Sisters of Metropolitan Chicago has become a cornerstone of community service and measurable impact in the greater Chicagoland community. As the premier mentoring agency in the area, the organization has made more than 20,000 one-to-one mentoring matches since their founding in 1967, resulting in an estimated 3 million hours of contact between Bigs and Littles.  Learn more by visiting www.bbbschgo.org.

About Big Brothers Big Sisters of America

For more than 100 years, Big Brothers Big Sisters has operated under the belief that the ability to succeed and thrive in life is inherent in every child.  As the nation’s largest donor and volunteer supported mentoring network, Big Brothers Big Sisters’ mission is to provide children facing adversity with strong and enduring, professionally supported one-to-one relationships that change their lives for the better, forever.

Partnering with parents/guardians, schools, corporations and others in the community, Big Brothers Big Sisters carefully pairs Littles with Bigs and monitors and supports them in one-to-one mentoring matches throughout their course. The organization holds itself accountable for children in the program to achieve measurable outcomes, such as higher aspirations; greater confidence and better relationships; educational success; and avoidance of delinquency and other risky behaviors.  Most children served by Big Brothers Big Sisters are in single-parent and low-income families or households in which a parent is incarcerated.  Headquartered in Philadelphia with a network of about 370 agencies across the country, Big Brothers Big Sisters serves nearly 240,000 children.  Learn how you can positively impact a child’s life, donate or volunteer at www.BigBrothersBigSisters.org.