Boys & Girls Club Blog

March 23, 2026

A Growing Mentoring Program Creating Great Futures

Did you know the Boys & Girls Club of Oshkosh offers a one-on-one mentoring experience through our Great Futures Mentoring Program?

This program matches caring adult mentors with youth in 5th through 8th grade, providing consistent support, guidance, and encouragement. Mentors and mentees meet on average 2–3 hours per month, either at the Club or at school. Each pair builds their own unique connection, bonding over fun activities such as basketball, crafts, baking and more, while also navigating topics such as life, school and future goals. These consistent connections provide youth with encouragement, guidance and a trusted adult who is there to support them.

Under the guidance of our new Director of Mentoring, Abbey Hessling, this program continues to grow. Since joining the team in November 2025, Abbey has continued to expand the program to have more of an impact on members.

Meaningful Activities That Build Connection

The Great Futures Mentoring Program is designed to create meaningful connections through shared experiences while being both fun and impactful. Mentors and mentees spend their time engaging in activities that reflect their interests while naturally building trust and communication.

Together, these pairs often explore a variety of activities, including:

• Staying active with basketball, pool, chess, or esports
• Playing board games
• Hands-on experiences like crafting, drawing, and creative projects
• Cooking and baking in our community teaching kitchen

Recently, pairs have especially enjoyed making muffins, cookies and brownies together. One baking session even turned into a learning opportunity, as a mentor encouraged their mentee to use math skills to calculate fractions while sharing their creation. These moments help youth build confidence while learning in a natural, engaging way.

In addition to these fun, hobby-based activities, our program also focuses on on academic support, personal interests and skill-building activities that foster positive relationships and enhance self-esteem. This includes homework help, life-readiness actitivies, decision-making skills and social-emotional support.

The Power of Connection

The Great Futures Mentoring Program has a meaningful impact on many areas of a child’s life, including academic success, self-esteem and social-emotional growth. Youth who are matched with a mentor often feel more confident in their abilities, more motivated to stay engaged in school, and more comfortable expressing themselves. Having a trusted adult to talk to can make a lasting difference, helping youth feel seen, heard, and valued.

Mentor experience the impact of these relationships firsthand. As one mentor shared, “I very much enjoy being a mentor. I really enjoy when he is excited to show me occasions where he improved his grades in certain classes.” Another mentor reflected, “My favorite moment so far was when my mentee opened up to me about some personal things in her life. It showed me that she trusted me and it made me feel like we were growing in our relationship.”

These powerful connections continue to strengthen youth’s confidence, support their mental well-being and encourage academic growth, highlighting just how meaningful and lasting the impact of mentorship can be. We are grateful to the Theda & Tamblin Clark Smith Family Foundation for their support of our Great Futures Mentoring Program, helping make these life-changing relationships possible.

Growing Need for Mentors

Our Great Futures Mentoring program is currently serving 10 active mentor/mentee pairs, but the need in our community continues to grow. We have a waiting list of youth who are eager to be matched, including many referred by parents and staff who have identified a need for additional support.

To meet this need, we are actively looking for more mentors, especially men, who can step in and make a lasting difference in a young person’s life. Mentors play a critical role in helping youth feel seen, supported, and empowered to reach their full potential. The commitment is flexible, with mentors encouraged to meet for at least one hour every other week, and activities tailored to the interests of both mentor and mentee.

Join Us in Building Great Futures

The Great Futures Mentoring Program is about more than just matching mentors and mentees. It’s about building strong relationships that help shape a young person’s future. With more mentors, we can continue to grow this impact and serve more youth who are waiting for a connection.

If you or someone you know is interested in becoming a mentor, we would love to connect. You can get started by filling out the Great Futures Mentoring Form. Mentors complete a simple application, background check, and orientation either in-person or virtually to fit your schedule.

Together, we can continue building Great Futures.