Be the Mentor: Inspiring Male Mentorship at the University of Montana

Sydney Mace et al.
Fri, 17 Apr 2026 09:30:00 PDT

Stable mentorship is a critical protective factor in childhood development. Yet many children worldwide grow up without consistent mentors, leaving them more vulnerable to the impacts of adverse childhood experiences. These children enjoy fewer social and academic opportunities that allow them to become productive members of society. The Missoula community is home to a large population of young adults who are capable of becoming valuable mentors; however, vulnerable youth populations in Missoula are still underserved. Through our Capstone project, we aim to address the underrepresentation of male mentors in Missoula and build a mentorship-awareness initiative among college students. To do this, we plan to organize a speaking event at which representatives from Big Brothers Big Sisters (BBBS), as well as former and current BBBS participants, will inspire students to become mentors. We will promote this speaking event through tabling and targeted outreach to classes and organizations such as fraternities and ROTC. We will employ personal calls to action, as this method is supported by research to be the most effective in recruiting male participants. However, we prioritize inclusivity above all and hope to recruit as diverse a cohort as possible.