After thirty years of providing mentorship through the Bears and Cubs program, Bowdoin College and the McKeen Center for the Common Good were recognized with a Big Impact Award from Big Brothers Big Sisters (BBBS) of Bath/Brunswick. On December 5th, BBBS of Bath/Brunswick gathered for their annual Big Night Out—an awards ceremony and fundraising dinner for program members and sponsors —and honored the accomplishments of their award recipients.
The program, which was founded in 1995, pairs student volunteers with youths (often referred to in BBBS as "Bigs" and "Littles", respectively) from the Bath and Brunswick communities for regular meetings and mentorship, both at Bowdoin and at local elementary and junior high schools. Whether going to their Little’s school for the weekly Lunch Buddies program or meeting up on campus for special Sunday events and activities, Bears and Cubs has provided Bowdoin students with three decades of opportunities to act as mentors for children in the community around the college.
"The McKeen Center for the Common Good and Bowdoin are honored to be recognized by Big Brothers Big Sisters of Bath/Brunswick", said McKeen Center for the Common Good Director Sarah Seames. "Our longstanding partnership has had an immense impact on countless Bowdoin students who have had the privilege of volunteering with the organization, many of whom have continued their relationships with their mentees far beyond graduation. BBBS shows us what is possible when we come together for the common good."
The award was accepted in person on behalf of the College by one such relationship: former Bowdoin Big Cameron Coffey ’24 and his Little, Jace, who were first paired through the Bears and Cubs program in 2022 before eventually transitioning to a full BBBS mentorship.
When presenting the Big Impact Award, BBBS of Bath/Brunswick Program Director Michael Czerpfanski emphasized the award’s recognition of the “lasting, measurable change” that resulted from dedicated mentorships, and highlighted the extent to which Bowdoin students had risen to the challenge over the years: “When Joseph McKeen said that institutions like Bowdoin are founded and endowed for the common good, he must have envisioned partnerships like those these college Bigs have with their Littles."
