Big Brothers Big Sisters of Long Island (BBBSLI), a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization in Levittown that provides children facing adversity with one-to-one mentoring services, recently announced it has received a grant for $25,000 as part of the “Innovation Generation Grant” program from the Motorola Solutions Foundation, the charitable arm of Motorola Solutions, Inc. The grant will support the BBBSLI Workplace Mentoring Program at the Motorola offices in Holtsville, which provides weekly, after-school mentoring to middle school students from the Sachem School District.
Students will be transported to the Motorola offices, where they will be “matched” with volunteers. On-site case managers will provide support to ensure the “match” is a success for both the volunteer and student. In turn, the mentoring relationship will make a positive impact on the life of a child and offer employees the chance to give back to their community.
“The grant provided through the Motorola Solutions Foundation will assist BBBSLI in implementing a Workplace Mentoring Program, right here on Long Island,” said Mark Cox, CEO of BBBSLI. “The employees of Motorola will be a valuable asset to the children enrolled in the program as they can provide education, career exploration, and insight into the world of technology.”
BBBSLI serves children in both Nassau and Suffolk counties through site-based programs and community-based programs. The Workplace Mentoring Program allows companies to host students from neighboring school districts while their employees provide professional, supported one-to-one mentoring. Throughout the program, BBBSLI staff is on-site to provide guidance during the mentoring process. BBBSLI recruits, screens and trains qualified candidates who dedicate their time as “Bigs” to mentor at-risk children, “Littles.”
“In 2007, the Motorola Solutions Foundation created the Innovation Generation Grant program to support instruction and educational experiences that spark young imaginations and turn their dreams into the innovations that will shape our future. Organizations like BBBSLI are teaching tomorrow’s workforce that careers in engineering and technology are not only fun, but also within their reach,” said Matt Blakely, of Motorola Solutions Foundation.
