The Big Brother Big Sister program is a nationwide volunteer organization that aims to make a positive impact on the lives of young people. The SMART program is something that Big Brothers Big Sisters of Berks County offers. It is a school-based mentoring program that pairs children, known as littles, from the elementary and middle school with high school students, college students, or members of the community, known as bigs. The goal of the program is to improve a child’s self-confidence, academic performance, and respect for themselves and others. 

     The SMART program has been at Hamburg for ten years. Students from the high school go to the middle school every Tuesday from 1:30-2:20. During this time students help their littles with their homework and then work on relationship and communication skills by playing games. Tia Adam, a sophomore involved in the program for two years notes, “My favorite part is helping the students with homework and then playing games with them after their homework is done.”

     The Big Brother Big Sister representative that oversees the SMART program is Crystal Almanzar, who has been involved with the program since September of 2023. She believes that the program is a wonderful thing to be a part of stating, “Being able to help younger kids in their academics and help them build their self-confidence is an amazing honor.” She really enjoys getting to see the improvement in the littles, adding “They benefit so much from having a big that they can trust and talk to.”

     The SMART program is a fantastic opportunity for a high school student to make a positive impact on the lives of their younger peers. It is a fun and easy way to make a difference in someone’s life and in the community. Tia Adam mentions, “It is a nice way to help out, bond with students, and if a student wants to be a teacher it is a nice program to be involved in.” Not only does the program offer opportunities to make a positive impact, it also offers great learning experiences for anyone considering a career working with children. Crystal Almanzar suggests that she would highly recommend anyone that has a passion for helping others, and wants to have an impact on someone else’s life to join the program. The program is always looking for more high school students to volunteer, so consider joining the program and making a difference! Visit Mrs. Ponter in the Virtual Learning Lab for more information about applying.