Leesville Road High School is creating a program called Big Brothers, designed to pair boys from York Elementary with students from Leesville in order to provide the youth with good male role models.
The program was designed to help the kids from York Elementary “have a more positive outlook on their education and to get them excited about school,” according to Cameron Wood, senior and president of Key Club, one of the groups involved in Big Brothers.
The “Little Brothers” got their first glimpse of the high school on Friday, Feb. 12, when the elementary students attended the Winterfest Assembly and took a tour of the campus.
“We want to show these kids the coolest parts of high school, like the assembly, to get them excited about school and what’s coming for them,” said Wood.
The boys will also have another event in March, where they meet with their Big Brothers for a picnic at York Elementary. The program also hopes to get a service project together in between the assembly and the picnic that the Big and Little Brothers will work on together.
Any other meetings between the boys are up to the Big Brothers to organize, and Wood hopes that the Leesville students involved in the program will take this chance to go bowling, play sports, or participate in other activities with the younger boys.
“We really just want to provide the boys with positive role models,” said Wood. “All of the guys involved in the program are successful students that the [younger] kids can look up to.”
Big Brothers also has benefits for the older boys. “It’s a great service opportunity,” said Wood. “It’s refreshing to hang out with younger kids. I don’t have any younger siblings, so I’m really looking forward to helping out with this program and hopefully be a good role model.”
Kelley Nusbaum, the staff member in charge of the program, hopes that enough Big Brothers will sign up in order to pair up each of the twenty-five elementary school students with a positive role model. As of now, about ten more boys are needed.
Hi-
I’m a parent of an LRHS sophmore male student. I read this article and think this is a great opportunity for highschool boys to become involved in their community-and to help other younger boys look at school and their education in a more important and fun way. I would like more information on the program- hoping that my son might want to become involoved.
Is the program designed for junior or senior boys only? If not- Who should he contact? Are meetings held on a regular basis- when?
Thanks- I enjoyed the article. Mrs.Jacquilyn Balhouse