Big Brothers Big Sisters and Comcast Celebrate Five-Year Workplace Mentoring Partnership

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (Sept. 17, 2015)  This week, Big Brothers Big Sisters of Middle Tennessee and Comcast kicked-off their 5^th year of the innovative Beyond School Walls^sm mentoring partnership with the seventh grade class at Jere Baxter Middle School.

In 2011 Comcast partnered with Big Brothers Big Sisters and Jere Baxter Middle School to launch Beyond School Walls^sm, a unique workplace mentoring program in which Comcast gives back to their communities by hosting children from area schools at their local offices.

Since the program’s inception in Nashville, Comcast employees have served as “Big Brothers” or “Big Sisters” meeting with their “Littles” at the Comcast facility at least twice a month. During this time the kids play games, do homework, have lunch and spend quality time with their mentor, while gaining an understanding of the workplace environment. Big Brothers Big Sisters and Comcast are working to grow this program to create a positive influence for even more children at Jere Baxter Middle School for the 2015 school year.

“We are thankful that Comcast has been aiding in successful mentorship for five years, and we look forward to continuing this relationship for many more years to come,” said Carlyle Carroll, Big Brothers Big Sisters of Middle Tennessee CEO. “This type of collaboration with Comcast has allowed Big Brothers Big Sisters to positively impact the lives of over 1,500 children and families in Middle Tennessee. Together we are working to break the negative cycles linked to families and communities struggling with issues often associated with poverty, incarceration, and single-parent households.”

The Beyond School Walls program aims to help at-risk children reach their fullest potential. Launched in 2008 at Comcast’s Philadelphia headquarters, Beyond School Walls is the nation’s largest workplace mentoring program in partnership with Big Brothers Big Sisters of America. Through the end of the 2014-15 school year, the program has impacted the lives of more than 750 children across the country through one-to-one mentoring matches with Comcast employees.

“The relationships built through the Beyond School Walls program have not only benefited the Littles from Jere Baxter, but also our employees at Comcast,” said Sara Jo Walker, Director of Public Relations for Comcast. “This life-changing program perfectly represents Comcast’s commitment to developing tomorrow’s leaders and to serving the communities where our employees live and work.”

Big Brothers Big Sisters improves children’s chances for succeeding in school, behaving nonviolently, creating positive parental relationships, and breaking negative cycles. With the help of Comcast and the Beyond School Walls^sm program, the children are exposed to a more powerful mentoring experience that focuses on literacy, education, and leadership development.

To learn more about Big Brothers Big Sisters, visit mentorakid.org or call (615) 329-9191.

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