Peer Mentoring as a Means of Creating a Sense of Community and Positive Self-Image for Those Involved: An Evaluation of The Boys and Girls Club of Spring Branch’s Peer Mentoring Program

The Boys and Girls Club of Greater Houston have a universal mission of helping those in their formative year’s especially productive and responsible members of their community. The Spring Branch Unit has the added mission of attempting to create a sense of community in a neighborhood consisting of a few blocks of apartment complexes. The community the BGC serves is 98% Latino. During the school year, its main goal is to create a safe place for neighborhood youth to hang out, have a meal, and work on homework. The club’s capacity to fulfill this goal is limited by its resources, both fiscally and locally.

The purpose of this project initially focused on ways to increase parental involvement as a means to mitigate these restraints. Upon beginning this project, the notion that this question was flawed in its assumption that this would alleviate the club’s restrictions became apparent. The literature I reviewed focused on the importance of community members to feel their participation is productive, and that they are given a voice in the organization, and simply by being kept informed on events occurring within the organization (Horowitz). Even though much research has shown that importance parental involvement, beginning with that as the question didn’t allow for the club or community to interact with one another. An interesting aspect which this club must also negotiate is its close proximity to Hollibrook Elementary. Separated by only a small field and fence, the school is often seen as in juxtaposition to the club, instead of two organizations working with the community. From the onset, the problem of parental involvement seemed to simplify many factors working within the club.  To better address the BGC’s initial question, the nature of my inquiry evolved to ways to increasing general interest in the club, for those already participating as well as those community members not involved.