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Expanding BBBS of NYC’s
citywide reach
The Center for Training
The BBBS of NYC Center for Training and
Professional Development (The Center) helps
other organizations develop, implement, expand
or improve their mentoring programs though a
Mentoring Supervisor Certificate (MSC) Program
in conjunction with Fordham University’s Graduate
School of Social Service. By sharing BBBS of
NYC’s extensive knowledge, experience and best
practices with other youth service organizations
across the city, they are able to impact a greater
number of youth and mentors.
Taking advantage of the many services
available through The Center is Herald Youth,
the youth outreach department of Chinese
Christain Herald Crusades, a non-profit based
in Chinatown that serves adolescents at a time
when many youth are searching for meaning,
direction and self-identity. For newly immigrated
youth, these developmental issues are intensified
due to being uprooted as well as dealing with a
foreign language and culture. To meet the needs
of this population, Herald Youth offers several
programs including a one-to-one “Bridge in the
Gap” mentoring program for at-risk high school
youth; an English Study Buddies program to
help immigrant youth with English skills; and a
weekend “Walk With U” mentoring program for
children ages 6-12 with special needs.
Putting principles into practice
Five staff members from Herald Youth have
participated in the MSC Program, which has
enhanced their own mentoring programs
within the organization. In addition, all
five staff members regularly attend The
Manni, Supervisor, Teen “Bridge in the Gap”
For more information on the Center for Training
please contact Kiana Walbrook at kwalbrook@bigsnyc.org
Center’s workshops. “These workshops
offer new, innovative ideas we can apply
to our program, especially for training our
mentors. They are so helpful because they
give us new ways to make mentoring exciting
for our volunteers, which, in turn, help them
become better mentors,” comments Manni Lee,
who supervises the Teen “Bridge in the Gap”
program, adding “The fact that we’ve received
a certificate in mentoring supervision by BBBS
of NYC and Fordham University makes us more
credible and trustworthy in the eyes of the
families we serve.”
“I always feel informed, supported, energized,
and inspired after attending the workshops led
by their enthusiastic trainers. I appreciate the
technical assistance and the abundance
of resources that BBBS of NYC offers us,”
explains Carmen Chau, who runs Herald
Youth’s English Study Buddies program.
Similarly, Phoebe Ho, who supervises the
organization’s mentoring program for youth
with special needs adds, “Through the
training from The Center, I’ve been able to
build networks with other organizations in
order to expand my resources.”
Teamwork building
In addition to the program ideas that the Herald
Youth staff learns at the workshops they attend,
the staff also admits that the workshops
helps them work together as a team. “It helps us
as co-workers to improve our communication
and learn how to work together,” notes Manni,
adding “we love it.”
The JPMorgan Chase
Fellowship Program
To help underwrite the cost of the MSC Program,
the JPMorgan Chase Fellowship Program offers
partial scholarships to fund professionals who
apply to the MSC Program.
“The
workshops
offer new,
innovative ideas …
and give us new ways
to make mentoring
exciting for our
volunteers.”
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