Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Bay Area and Craig Newmark Philanthropies Help Create Career Paths

SAN FRANCISCO - Jan. 2, 2019 - PRLog -- Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Bay Area is proud to announce the launch of a bold new partnership with Craig Newmark Philanthropies to support Bay Area youth in achieving their biggest possible futures, through college and career exploration opportunities and long-lasting relationships with mentors.

The first phase of the new initiative, Think Big Futures, will focus on providing more girls with women mentors in the tech industry, expanding engagement opportunities with college and workplace experiences.

Harnessing the power and promise of mentoring, Think Big Futures creates more opportunities for young people to explore careers and colleges alongside their mentors, and change the trajectories of their lives. "We believe that there isn't a more powerful intervention than giving a child an enduring mentor," said CEO of Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Bay Area, Dawn Kruger. "For girls to see a career in technology as a viable option for themselves, they need to be able to identify with role models working in tech, who can nurture their aspirations and help them overcome barriers to success."

The initiative will match "Littles" with "Bigs" for a minimum of one year, providing ongoing coaching; support; and opportunities to participate in behind-the-scenes tours of workplaces, colleges, and tech-related programs. Activities include attending a coding workshop at Salesforce; meeting startup founders at Y-Combinator (sponsored by Silicon Valley Bank); partnering with the Design_Code_Build program at the Computer History Museum; and touring University of San Francisco, Cal State East Bay, Stanford University and U.C. Berkeley.

"Technology is changing every aspect of our society and, in the process, creating economic opportunities, but the sector is still a boys' club," said Craig Newmark, the founder of craigslist and Craig Newmark Philanthropies. "Gender inequality in tech is bad for women, and it's equally bad for the industry because, by excluding female talent, we limit growth and innovation."

Newmark continued: "Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Bay Area has served the young people of this community for generations, and I'm honored to work with them to help girls get greater opportunities to build and demonstrate their skills."

A celebration will be held during National Mentoring Month to highlight Big Brothers Big Sisters' workplace mentoring program. It will take place on Tuesday, January 8th, 2019, at Google Tech Corners in Sunnyvale, in partnership with YWCA's TechGyrls program (press encouraged to attend; please RSVP).

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Together, We Are Defenders of Potential Video
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=utLT_eMPmS4



Big Brothers Big Sisters is one of the longest running, most respected youth-serving organizations in the country and has been empowering kids for over 110 years. Our mission is to provide children facing adversity with strong and enduring, professionally supported 1-to-1 relationships that change their lives for the better, forever.  Founded in 1904, we pioneered formal mentoring for children facing adversity. We bring an unparalleled rigor to mentoring – screening, training, ongoing support, outcome tracking and closure – ensuring consistent long-lasting relationships that have a dramatic positive impact on children's lives. Our unique approach has been shown to improve children's confidence and school performance, and decrease their use of drugs, alcohol, tobacco and violence.

Craig Newmark Philanthropies was created by craigslist founder Craig Newmark to support and connect people and drive broad civic engagement. The organization works to advance people and grassroots organizations that are getting stuff done in areas that include trustworthy journalism, voter protection, gender diversity in technology, and veterans and military families. For more information, please visit: CraigNewmarkPhilanthropies.org.