Above Photo: Chippewa Valley Technical College invites K-12 students to tour, but this is the first time adults and children will be invited to the College through Big Brothers Big Sisters to help support mental health while giving an educational experience. Katie Steffes, Early Childhood Education program director and instructor at CVTC, said with more than 145 programs at the College, the opportunities are vast.
Big Brothers Big Sisters of Northwestern Wisconsin is launching a new partnership with Chippewa Valley Technical College, supported by a $239,000 grant, aimed at enhancing youth mental health while introducing young people to postsecondary education opportunities.
Funding was awarded through the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health’s Wisconsin Partnership Program and will support a three-year initiative called Learning and Inspiring Futures Together. The program will bring Big Brothers Big Sisters adult mentors and youth to CVTC for hands-on, educational experiences.
Travis Austad, CEO of Big Brothers Big Sisters of Northwestern Wisconsin, said the idea for the partnership originated from conversations with CVTC leadership and evolved over time. The grant process itself took nearly two years and included a letter of intent, a full grant proposal, and a project video before final selections were made.
“Through the process of elimination, we were one of a few selected organizations within the whole state of Wisconsin that received this grant,” Austad said.
The program will initially launch during the first year of the three-year grant cycle, with plans to expand into additional counties served by Big Brothers Big Sisters of Northwestern Wisconsin, including Eau Claire, Chippewa, Pierce, St. Croix, and Dunn counties.
“We’re working on year one here in hopes of replicating in other areas throughout our service area,” he said.
Activities will primarily take place at CVTC in Eau Claire and are expected to begin mid-year or during the fall semester. While the exact structure is still being finalized, Austad said the program will likely offer opportunities about six times a year for participants to engage in hands-on activities planned in collaboration with CVTC programs.
On the CVTC side, planning and coordination will involve multiple academic programs and student organizations. Katie Steffes, Early Childhood Education program director and instructor at CVTC, said the Early Childhood Education program and the Foundations of Teacher Education program will help design activities for participating youth.
Additionally, the Educators United student club will help facilitate lessons focused on social-emotional learning and mental health.
“They will be working on kind of facilitating and planning some lessons that are more based on social, emotional well-being and mental health,” Steffes said. “It’s just a really important piece that we’re going to be teaching these kids.”
The program is designed for youth ages 6 through 18, with activities adapted to different age groups. Steffes said the goal is to create experiences that are engaging for both the youth participants and their adult mentors.
“We will be making sure that it’s differentiated for the age levels,” she said, “but we want to also make it really fun and make sure the learning applies to whatever is happening with our activity.”
Both organizations view the partnership as a tool to alleviate anxiety surrounding college environments while introducing youth to potential future career pathways.
“For it to be a two-year process for us and starting from where we were to where we’re at now, it’s really exciting for us,” Austad said. “It’s a win-win partnership and collaborative effort on both ends, and we’re looking forward to seeing where it goes.”
After the three-year grant cycle ends, Austad said Big Brothers Big Sisters will explore ways to sustain the program through other funding opportunities.
For now, both organizations are focused on launching the program thoughtfully and building a strong foundation for future growth.
PHOTO CREDITS: Katie Steffes, Early Childhood Education program director and instructor, Travis Austad, Big Brothers Big Sisters of Northwestern Wisconsin CEO
Logos from BBBS, WI Partnership Program, CVTC
