This fall at UALR, making a difference in the life of child is earning some students class credit.

Dr. Juliana Flinn, professor of anthropology and director of the American Humanics program, has created a new program matching UALR students with youngsters in the Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Arkansas organization.

Students in the three-hour credit class, “Mentoring with Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Arkansas,” must go through the volunteer application process and will keep journals of their mentoring experiences. The new program, requires a year-long commitment by the UALR student to be match with a “little” brother or sister.

“Research indicates that a few months of having a mentor is worse for a child than never having a mentor,” Flinn said.

Christel Cater, vice president of marketing for Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Arkansas said the partnership with her organization and UALR’s College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences not only provides a steady source of mentors, but benefits UALR and the community.

“Dr. Flinn approached BBBS with a syllabus she had created for this class,” Cater said. “Not only has this opportunity helped us find more ‘bigs,’ but it has provided the students a chance to learn about service in the community.”

Possible activities students can engage in with their “littles” include volunteering to help in the child’s classroom, learn about an outreach resource that would be beneficial to the “little’s” family or participating in other activities together in the school setting.

Lakresha Diaz, a liberal arts major from Little Rock, said that her experience as a student in the class is teaching her to be more open-minded about other cultures.

“I am concerned about children, especially boys who seem to be falling further and further behind in school every year,” Diaz said. “I think BBBS is a good solution. Getting class credit for volunteering was a great incentive to get involved now.”

For Jessica Perren of Little Rock, an anthropology/studio art major and American Humanics minor, the UALR and BBBS collaboration provided a unique opportunity to pass on the invaluable contribution mentors can make in the life of a child.

“Thinking about my own childhood, I thought about the impact of having the adult interaction of my grandparents, aunts, and uncles in my life, and two specific teachers in elementary school and high school that acted as mentors and role models,” Perren said. “Sometimes kids just need more adult interaction to send them positive messages besides the tons of messages they get from peers, and commercials and advertisements.”

Cater said that the class will have a long-lasting impact on its students.

“Students in this class will come to understand the benefits of volunteering on a deeper level and want to stay involved with the child after the class is over,” said Cater. “When you’re making a difference in the life of a child, everyone wins.”

To learn more about this class, contact Flinn at 501.569.3166. To contact Cater, call 501.374.6661.