This summer, Big Sister Boston has not only been busy making Big and Little Sister matches, we've been fostering connections among our community, too!

Conversations Among Women, our panel discussion series geared toward women of color and hosted by our Diversity Board, focused on the ways in which women of color are reclaiming their narrative through sharing their own stories. The panel featured a Q&A with  Tania Del Rio , Executive Director, City of Boston's Office of Women's Advancement;  Malia Lazu,  Founder, The Urban Labs;  Tariana V. Little , Co-founder, EmVision Productions and DrPH candidate, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health; Tiffany Probasco, Freelance Writer and Professor of English at Bunker Hill Community College; Lisa Simmons, Director, Roxbury Film Festival; and Jessica Tang, President, Boston Teachers Union; and was moderated by Brandy Cruthird, President and CEO, BBB Health & Wellness Workout Innovations. Robust group discussions covered ways in which women of color are working to break down societal norms and stereotypes to reclaim their own narrative.

Our Young Professional Board hosted their annual Summer Soiree at Finn McCool's in Boston, raising $17,000 in support of our mentoring and enrichment programs for girls. More than 150 young professionals packed the room with fun and philanthropy!

Sometimes it takes a little intentional mingling--and in our case "flamingling"--for Big Sisters to forge relationships with one another. At our second Big Sister Social of the year, entitled "Let's Flamingle" and hosted by Yesware, 30 Big Sisters got to do just that. During the tropical-themed gathering Big Sisters were broken into groups based on the age of their Little Sisters, and with the help of a Big Sister staff member, engaged in meaningful conversations about the challenges and rewards of their experience. Think you might want to become a Big Sister and join in on the fun? Get started here!

Get to know the staff behind the work we do with Greater Boston's women and girls! This month, meet Christine Berardino, Manager of Site-Based Mentoring, our one-to-one mentoring program in which Little Sisters meet with their Big Sisters at the girls' schools once a week. Christine began her career at Big Sister Boston in 2015 as a Coordinator of Site-Based Mentoring. 

What brought you to Big Sister Boston?

In my previous role I worked as a Victim Witness Advocate in the Child Protection Unit at the Suffolk County District Attorney's Office. I always loved working with children, but I wanted to be working for an organization that supported and empowered young girls, specifically in social-emotional learning.

 

What are the benefits of girls having mentors who meet with them in school?

 

Little Sisters love when their Big Sisters come to visit during the school day. It allows the students to take a break from class and just have fun. It is so great to see Little Sisters introduce their Big Sisters to their friends and take them on tours of their classrooms. School is such a big part of girls' lives, and our Site-Based Mentoring Big Sisters get a unique perspective by meeting with the girls at their schools.

What does the Site-Based Mentoring team focus on when school is out for the summer?

 

Although school is on summer break, we aren't! We are still interviewing potential Little Sisters and Big Sisters. We work hard to interview and match as many as we can in the summer, so that we can make lots of new matches at the beginning of the school year. The Site-Based Mentoring team also has a book club where we read books relevant to the work we do. A book we recently finished is Push Out: The Criminalization of Black Girls in Schools by Monique Morris. We had fruitful conversations about how we could improve the work we do in the 28 schools we partner with, including the Boston, Cambridge, and Quincy Public Schools.

What are you most excited about in Site-Based Mentoring for the upcoming school year?

 

I am excited to see all the girls smiling when their Big Sisters return. I am also looking forward to a new partnership we created between Boston College and Mildred Community Center in Mattapan. The Little Sisters will be visiting their Big Sisters at Boston College campus for planned activities on Saturdays this upcoming school year. The Little Sisters get such a cool, first-hand perspective on life as a college student.

 

What do you love doing outside of work? Got any big plans for the summer?

 

I love spending time with my puppy, Lucy! A goal of the summer is to take her swimming for the first time. I also enjoy yoga and spin classes, traveling, and cooking new recipes. This summer I am a maid of honor in my best friend's wedding, so I am excited about that too. I will also be doing a lot of weekend trips and relaxing by the pool where I live.

Are you a subscriber to The Boston Globe? If so, you're eligible to redeem your GRANT voucher (automatically linked to your Globe subscriber number) in support of Big Sister Boston. 

Big Sister Boston will receive ad space in The Boston Globe equivalent to the dollar amount of vouchers donated. Donating your voucher is simple and quick:

1. Click here
2. Type in your subscriber number
3. Type Big Sister Association (the rest will auto-fill) into the field for Certified 501(c)(3) Organization
4. Click submit

Thank you for your support in helping us get the word out about our mentoring and enrichment programs for girls!