About Us
Our Mission
Helping children reach their potential through professionally supported, One-to-One
mentoring relationships.
Our Vision
A Big Brother or Big Sister for every Oklahoma child who needs and wants one.
Our History
Big Brothers Big Sisters of America (BBBSA) is the oldest, largest and most effective youth mentoring organization in the United States. It has been the leader in One-to-One youth mentoring services for more than a century, developing positive relationships that have a direct and lasting impact on the lives of young people. Big Brother Big Sister volunteers mentor children, ages 6 through 18, in communities across the country.
In 1904, a young New York City court clerk named Ernest Coulter was seeing more and more boys come through his courtroom. He recognized that caring adults could help many of these children stay out of trouble, and he set out to find volunteers. That marked the beginning of the Big Brothers movement. By 1916, Big Brothers had spread to 96 cities across the country. At around the same time, the members of a group called the Ladies of Charity were befriending girls who had come through the New York Children’s Court. That group would later become Catholic Big Sisters.
Both groups continued to work independently until 1977, when Big Brothers of America and Big Sisters International joined forces and became Big Brothers Big Sisters of America (BBBSA). More than 100 years later Big Brothers Big Sisters remains true to our founders’ vision of bringing caring mentors into the lives of children. Big Brothers Big Sisters currently operates in all 50 states and in 12 countries around the world!
Big Brother Big Sister programs in Oklahoma started in various locations from the 1950’s through the 1990’s. On January 2, 2006 Big Brothers Big Sisters of Oklahoma (BBBSOK) was formed with the merger of all programs. The corporate office is located in Tulsa. There are BBBSOK offices in Bartlesville, Claremore, Norman, Oklahoma City, Shawnee, Stillwater and Tulsa. Our vision is to develop the resources needed to serve 13,000 children in communities throughout the state.