Building Futures

YMCA Building Futures is a school-based mentoring program that matches elementary and middle school kids with caring, supportive, and stable adult mentors.  Mentors, called Builders or Big Buddies, meet with their mentees, called Buddies, one hour a week on school grounds or at YMCA childcare sites for a minimum of one year. With a supportive adult figure in their lives, these children learn trust and self-confidence, improve in school, and are better prepared to succeed.  Our youth are between six and fourteen years old and are typically referred by teachers or childcare staff.  Our volunteers range from High School students to working adults to retirees, and are screened and interviewed before being matched with a child.