Central City Public Schools has been named the 2024 Community Partner of the Year by Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Nebraska. This recognition highlights the district's participation in the organization’s School-Based Program, which pairs high school students with elementary school students in a one-to-one mentoring program.

The program involves high school students, referred to as "Bigs," visiting elementary school students, or "Littles," on a weekly basis. Through these visits, mentors engage in activities and conversations with their mentees, fostering supportive relationships.

In the 2022-2023 school year, Central City Public Schools and Big Brothers Big Sisters saw a significant increase in the number of mentor-mentee matches, with the number of matches growing by 400%. In the 2023-2024 school year, the number of matches more than doubled again. The trend is expected to continue, with plans to further increase matches during the current school year.

Staff and administrators from Central City Public Schools have been actively involved in supporting the program. The following individuals were pictured at the recognition event:

• Laken Parde, K-6 Guidance Counselor
• Neely Moser, Elementary Principal
• Kathryn Vampola, BBBS Board Chair
• Holee Hanke, High School Principal
• Michelle Brisnehan, BBBS Match Support Coordinator

Also recognized but not pictured was Ann Greving-Brown, 7-12 Guidance Counselor, along with the high school mentors who participate in the program.

Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Nebraska provides two primary programs: the School-Based Program, which pairs high school students with younger students, and the Community-Based Program, which pairs youth with adult mentors from the community.

For more information on Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Nebraska and its programs, visit mentorcentral.org or follow them on social media @BBBSCentralNE.