KNOXVILLE (WATE) – The Big Brothers Big Sisters of East Tennessee is in desperate need of more mentors for a new program they are getting to launch at South Doyle High School.

Organizers said the Mentor 2.0 program is different from a traditional mentoring program. It is designed to use the mentoring relationship to ensure more students from low-income communities enroll and succeed in college.

Each student participating in the Mentor 2.0 program will be paired with their own college graduate from the community as their mentor. This provides our students with the level of personalized support necessary to ensure college-readiness.

South Doyle High School will be the first school to participate in the new program. Mentors need to be at least 23 years or older, with at least a two-year degree. Mentors commit four years to a single mentee and have the option to extend the match through the completion of college.

Mentors must apply online. For more information contact Whitney Baker, the Mentor 2.0 Program Director at (865) 243-8846 or wbaker@tennesseebig.org.

Big Heights Rooftop Crawl supports Mentor 2.0 program

The Big Heights Rooftop Crawl will take place Thursday, August 18 in Downtown Market Square.

The decade-themed event will benefit Big Brothers Big Sisters of East Tennessee’s Mentor 2.0 Program. During the event, participants will crawl the rooftops of Market Square and enjoy food, drinks, music, and decade-themed fun as they travel from the 70s to the 90s.

The participating rooftops include: Scruffy City Hall, Oodles Uncorked, and Cafe 4. The rooftop crawl is from 7-10:00 p.m.

Tickets are $45, must be purchased prior to the event, and include: food, drink tickets (one per rooftop party), decade-themed entertainment, and access for one to each of our three rooftops.

To purchase tickets go to Big Brothers Big Sister’s website. All participants must be 21 years of age and older.