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Monthly Archives

March 2021

Encouragement

27 Ways to Say “You’re Great”

By Resources

We all need a bit of encouragement now and then. From small successes to meeting big goals, it always feels good to hear “you’re great!” How will you show some encouragement to a child or Little in your life? Here are 27 ways to say “you’re great” to kids.

  1. You’re a terrific kid, I enjoy spending time with you!
  2. Thanks for showing good character when you . . .
  3. That’s a really creative idea.
  4. I’m impressed with how you solved that problem.
  5. You showed real leadership on that.
  6. Really nice effort!
  7. Will you show me how to do that?
  8. I appreciate when you . . .
  9. You did an outstanding job.
  10. I hope you feel proud of yourself!
  11. Looks like you put a lot of work into that and it paid off!
  12. You learned that really fast! I knew you could do it.
  13. Learning is about making mistakes — keep trying—you’ll get it.
  14. You showed good sportsmanship.
  15. That was so kind!
  16. Way to go my friend!
  17. Well done! That’s really a strength for you.
  18. How did you come up with that? Very clever!
  19. You get better at this all the time.
  20. I hear what you’re saying, that sounds important to you.
  21. That was beautiful, you’re so talented.
  22. I like when you try something new!
  23. When you say thank you it really shows you care.
  24. I love your sense of humor, you make me laugh!
  25. I admire when you . . .
  26. I know that was difficult but you showed a lot of courage!
  27. I believe in you!

Want to make a difference in the life of a child in our community? Find out how you can become a volunteer Big or donate to support Big Brothers Big Sisters of Tampa Bay’s mentoring programs.

Bulls for Brighter Futures

School-to-Work Graduates Create Mentoring Program at USF

By In The News, School-to-Work

Two graduates of the School-to-Work mentoring program with Big Brothers Big Sisters of Tampa Bay have created their own mentoring program at the University of South Florida. “Bulls for Brighter Futures” provides underserved high school teens with resources to help them navigate their careers and lives through one-to-one mentoring with a college student.

Bulls for Brighter Futures

 

Chyanne School-to-Work GraduateChyanne Eaton, double majoring in Biomedical Science and Spanish at USF, is Co-President and Founder of Bulls for Brighter Futures. Chyanne felt that her time in the School-to-Work program as a Little was invaluable. As a high school student who planned to attend college, the School-to-Work program provided Chyanne with essential life skills. For instance, she learned how to navigate the college admissions process, establish and use credit,  and combat implicit bias. Having a Big gave her someone to go to for advice or reassurance.

Nidhi School-to-Work GraduateNidhi Bangalore, double majoring in Biomedical Science and Psychology at USF, is the VP of Menteeship for Bulls for Brighter Futures. Connecting with her Big through the School-to-Work program helped her focus on her education while building interpersonal skills. She looks to her Big as a friend and teacher who truly has an impact on her life. She saw herself grow as a person during the two years she spent in the School-to-Work program. “Seeing how someone’s guidance and friendship can help another, I hoped to foster that same bond with the new mentors and mentees in our program,” Nidhi explained.

 

From Mentees to Mentors

Knowing how critical mentoring relationships were to their success, Chyanne and Nidhi saw an opportunity to provide mentorship to high school students looking for guidance.  Chyanne said, “My Big helped me to feel more confident in myself and made me realize that I don’t have to have everything figured out right away. This relief is something that I want to provide for other high school students and has inspired my friends and me to create the mentorship organization Bulls for Brighter Futures.”

Although they faced challenges while building the program, they had support from their Bigs along the way. From mentee to mentor, their experiences with the School-to-Work program will forever guide them on their path to mentor more kids.

Learn more about how you can inspire the next generation of mentors through our School-to-Work program.

Jennifer, William and John

Match Story: William & John

By Match Stories

Just over a year after Little William and Big John were matched through Big Brothers Big Sisters of Tampa Bay, William’s home had been condemned by the city and torn down. William and his mother, Jennifer, had decided to move in with a friend in a small home. William’s Big John knew he could do more to help William and Jennifer get a home of their own.

John helped William’s mother get started on an application with Citrus County Habitat for Humanity. John and his wife, Dawn, spent 250 hours and a full year helping William and Jennifer navigate the process and collect all of the necessary paperwork. John even asked his company to donate furniture for William and Jennifer’s new home.

When the day finally came for William and Jennifer to get the keys to their new Habitat for Humanity home, William’s Big John was there to show his support. William and Jennifer have been in their Habitat home for almost three years now.

Although Big John had to leave the Big Brothers Big Sisters program recently when he moved out of state, he has certainly impacted his Little’s life in the 3.5 years they were matched. William said, “I’ll miss him, but he said he’d call me and maybe come visit Florida.”

Do you want to help a child in our community reach their full potential? Find out how you can become a Big by attending a Big Orientation & Training session.

Over the Edge

Reaching New Heights at Over the Edge

By Fundraising Events, In The News

More than 50 people rappelled down the Hilton Downtown Tampa last Saturday at Over the Edge to support Big Brothers Big Sisters of Tampa Bay’s youth mentoring programs.

Tampa Mayor Jane Castor, Police Chief Brian Dugan, and Bay area team mascots were just a few of the 55 “Edgers” who rappelled for a good cause. Each Edger raised $1,500, which is the cost of supporting one Big & Little “match” for one year in Big Brothers Big Sisters of Tampa Bay’s programs.

“A lot of our kids need that special adult in their life,” says Stephen Koch, President and CEO of Big Brothers Big Sisters of Tampa Bay. “When our kids have been matched for a year with our volunteer, we see their confidence level soaring, their grades improve.”

The need for volunteer mentors, or Bigs, has never been greater. Children in our community are facing increased stress and social isolation due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Mentoring relationships protect against the harmful effects of stress and build resilience among children.

Funds raised from Over the Edge will take 65 kids off their waiting list of over 650 who want to have a Big Brother or Big Sister.

You can support Big Brothers Big Sisters of Tampa Bay by becoming a Big or donating today.

 

Thank you to our Over the Edge sponsors

Frenchy's Restaurants

Flowbird

SKANSKA

Wehr Constructors

Helping Children Manage their Emotions

Helping a Child Mange their Emotions

By Resources

Helping a child identify, understand, and learn how to manage their emotions better can be an essential part of your relationship, especially if they are getting in trouble for emotional outbursts at home or school.

Experiencing anger is a normal part of everyday life. It plays a positive role in identifying where there may be a problem or a need that is not being met, yet children must learn how to deal with anger appropriately. Many children suffer daily emotional stress and frustrations, especially if they experience family issues, which can boil over at school and cause them to get in trouble and struggle socially and academically. Failing to deal effectively with strong emotions can lead to problems not just now but also later in life, including a host of health problems.

You can help your Little or a child in your life learn to manage their emotions constructively by providing a safe space to discuss their feelings and by acting as a positive role model. You may be the one person they can talk to without feeling judged, and it is essential to try to see things from their perspective and validate their experience, regardless of how you may initially perceive it. As you likely know, it can be tough to reason when in the grip of strong emotions, so first, give the child a chance to express what they feel while practicing reflective listening. Reflective listening is a communication strategy involving two key steps: seeking to understand an idea, then stating the concept back to the other person to confirm you understood correctly.

Once they feel understood and more relaxed, you can help them name the emotion, identify the cause of the feeling, explore what the emotion felt like physically, and then problem-solve the best ways to respond to that emotion. This will help them understand why they experience these emotions in the first place, recognize what the emotions feel like so they can identify them before boiling over, and have several appropriate responses prepared to handle emotional situations correctly and avoid getting in trouble.

Just by being an outlet for them to talk about their emotions, you are probably already well on your way to influencing your Little for the better. You can also use these resources and specific tips and tools to work with your Little on these issues.

Find more resources for Bigs on our I’m A Big page. Your Match Support Specialist provides the password. 

 

 

Conversation Starters

March Conversation Starters

By Resources

Do you need some ideas for things to talk to your Little about? Check out our March Conversation Starters to help you and your Little learn about new topics and discover new hobbies and interests. 

If you haven’t done so lately, have a conversation with your Little about how you feel you did on your goals throughout the first semester and so far in the second semester.

March is Women’s History Month: Do some research on Rosie the Riveter. Check out this article from the National Women’s History Alliance about when Women’s History month started. Or read the stories of 11 amazing women. Check out our Women’s History Month blog post for more ideas. 

March is Irish American Month: Do some research on important Irish Americans. Research Ireland and more about Irish Culture.

March is Music in our Schools Month: Does your Little take music in school? What do they learn in music? Do they like it? Does your Little play an instrument? Did you play an instrument in school? Do you still? What are some benefits to learning music?

March is National Nutrition Month: Discuss the importance of nutrition. Share some good eating habits. Come up with a challenge for March with your Little. Can they eat a serving of vegetables every day for lunch? Drink 5 cups of water every day? Come up with some healthy recipes together. Check out our National Nutrition Month blog post for more ideas. 

March 7th is National Cereal Day: Do you like cereal? What is your favorite? What kind of cereal would you invent? Come up with a Cereal Box design.

March 10th is Middle Name Pride Day: Do you have a middle name? Share your middle name with your Little. Do you like your middle name? If you could change it to something else, what would you change it to? Create an acrostic by writing your Little’s middle name vertically on a piece of paper and develop adjectives that describe your Little for each letter. Ex. Mary=Marvelous, Adventurous, Radiant, Young. Decorate your acrostics together. 

March 14th is Learn About Butterflies Day: Look up some interesting facts about butterflies. What is their life span? How many kinds are there? What’s the difference between a moth and a butterfly? Draw, color, or sketch butterflies together.

March 16th is Giant Panda Bear Day: Look up some interesting facts about Pandas. What do they eat? How many are in captivity? Are they still on the Endangered Species List? What Does that mean?

March 17th is St. Patrick’s Day: Does your Little celebrate? If so, how? Check out this video from theESOLodyssey about St. Patrick’s Day. 

March 19th is Absolutely Incredible Kid Day!: Tell your Little what makes them absolutely incredible in your eyes. Ask them if they know any absolutely incredible kids. Check out this video from People are Awesome of kids doing incredible things. Be sure to remind your Littles not to try any crazy stunts at home. 😉

March 20th is International Day of Happiness: Write a list of 10-20 things that make you happy and see how many things you and your Little have in common. 

March 25th is Waffle Day: Do you like waffles or waffle cones? What are your favorite toppings? What would be some crazy things to try on a waffle or in a waffle cone?

March 26th is Make Up Your Own Holiday Day: What is something you think is worth celebrating? What would be the best way to celebrate it? What part of the year would you celebrate?

Women’s History Month

By Resources

March is Women’s History Month, a time to uplift women’s voices and honor the contributions of women throughout history. Girls and young women face a unique set of challenges but continue to persist and break-down barriers. Take time this month to learn from women throughout history who have paved the way for the next generation of young women to reach their full potential. 

Firsts are powerful and important, but we must not forget those who helped them arrive there. This Women’s History Month, Big Brothers Big Sisters of Tampa Bay will highlight women who were “firsts” and the greats who stood behind them along the way.

Viola Davis, Actor & Producer

Viola Davis was the first African American to achieve “triple crown” status by being awarded a Primetime Emmy, an Academy Award, and two Tony Awards. 

She credits Cicely Tyson, a friend, and fellow actress, as a key mentor who inspired her. “You made me feel loved and seen and valued in a world where there is still a cloak of invisibility for us dark chocolate girls. You gave me permission to dream…because it was only in my dreams that I could see the possibilities in myself.” 

Cicely was known for her on-screen performances, which garnered her three Primetime Emmy Awards, four Black Reel Awards, an honorary Academy Award, one Screen Actors Guild Award, a Tony Award, and Peabody Award. In addition to these accolades, President Barack Obama awarded her the Medal of Freedom in 2016. She stated this was the most important award she received in her lifetime. 

Lucy Stone, Women’s Sufferage Movement

Susan B. Anthony’s name is typically the first to come to mind when thinking about women’s right to vote in the United States. She appears on our currency and in most history books. She is arguably the most well-known contributor to the Women’s Suffrage movement. 

But who inspired Anthony to become involved with Women’s Suffrage? A woman named Lucy Stone is said to have inspired Anthony to take up the cause in the first place after Anthony attended a convention that Stone had spoken at. 

Lucy Stone became the first woman from Massachusetts to obtain a degree after completing her studies at Oberlin College. An accomplished orator with sharp rhetoric, she was asked to compose the class commencement speech. She declined the request because she would not be allowed to read it due to being a woman. At Oberlin’s 50th Anniversary celebration, Stone returned and spoke on stage. 

Stone spent much of her life traveling and giving lectures regarding Women’s Suffrage and abolishing slavery. Stone is also known as the first American woman to keep her original name after marrying. “I believe that the influence of woman will save the country before any other power.”

Ibtihaj Muhammad, Olympic Bronze Medalist

The first woman to wear a hijab while competing in the Olympics on behalf of the United States was Ibtihaj Muhammad. She earned a bronze medal for her sabre fencing at the Rio Olympics and is ranked 7th globally. 

Earlier in life, she joined the Peter Westbrook Foundation, a fencing program that helps develop life skills in underserved young people. This foundation was established by Asian American Peter Westbrook, whose mother insisted he begin fencing to keep him out of trouble and expose him to a different life. 

Muhammad serves as a sports ambassador on the U.S. Department of State’s Empowering Women and Girls Through Sport Initiative. She travels to various countries to speak about the importance of sports and education. She has written two books and established Louella, a clothing line that focuses on bringing modest, fashionable clothing to America. 

Claudette Colvin, Civil Rights Movement

Claudette Colvin was pregnant and sitting in the back of the bus, as African Americans were required to do so in 1955. When the bus filled up, she was asked to stand to give her seat up to a white person. She loudly refused and exclaimed that it was her “constitutional right” to occupy the seat. “History kept me stuck to my seat. I felt the hand of Harriet Tubman pushing down on one shoulder and Sojourner Truth pushing down on the other.” 

Colvin was handcuffed, arrested, and pulled out of the bus. Though this was not a planned action by Colvin, she was part of the Youth NAACP and had dreams of becoming the United States president one day. The NAACP decided it would premiere Rosa Parks as the face of its bus de-segregation campaign 5 months after the incident with Colvin. 

Colvin struggled being labeled a troublemaker in her community and moved from Montgomery to New York. She worked as a nurse’s aid in Manhattan for 34 years and raised her children, rarely telling her story to others. She was later honored for her lifetime commitment to public service with a Congressional Certificate and an American flag. 

Find out how you can become a mentor and influence the next generation of inspiring women by becoming a Big. 

Match Activities

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Mentor and mentee baking for National Nutrition Month

National Nutrition Month

By Resources

Every March, the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics launches their annual National Nutrition Month campaign. It’s a chance to learn about making informed food choices and developing healthy eating and physical activity habits. It is also an excellent opportunity to teach your Little about the importance of having a nutritious diet and exercising daily. 

Below are some activity ideas that you can do with your Little to promote a nutritious and healthier lifestyle! 

Read Nutrition Labels and Boxes 

Ask your Little to save empty food product labels and boxes. Then, spend time reading labels and comparing the Nutrition Facts panels. Expand into a menu-planning opportunity, using MyPlate as the guide to a healthy meal. 

Start a Vegetable Garden

Some vegetables and herbs can be planted and grown in flower pots and containers like spinach, basil, peppers, and more. Plant some vegetable seeds and see if you and your Little can grow vegetables and then use them in a healthy recipe. 

Make a Healthy Snack with your Little 

Eatright.org has several healthy and kid-friendly snack recipes. Pick a recipe or two, buy the ingredients, and make it together with your Little. 

Encourage your Little to Exercise 

It is recommended for kids and adolescents to exercise for at least 30 to 60 minutes daily! The next time you see your Little try: 

  • Taking a walk around at the park or the beach
  • Watching an exercise video together or join a free exercise class in the community
  • Go for a bike ride 
  • Play a sport together 

Check out more resources on the I’m A Big page. Your Match Support Specialist can provide you with the password. 

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