nexxt level mentoring
our story
From Innovation to Impact
In 2020, Big Brothers Big Sisters of Eastern Missouri partnered with Washington University in St. Louis to better understand how mentoring services could be improved for young people, particularly a segment of boys who had historically experienced longer wait times to be matched with a mentor.
At the same time, Cape Girardeau Public Schools approached the agency seeking a collaborative mentoring solution that could serve more students within a school setting. Together, both organizations recognized an opportunity to create a new model that would expand access while maintaining meaningful youth development experiences.
Over the following six months, Big Brothers Big Sisters of Eastern Missouri and Cape Girardeau Public Schools worked side by side to design and implement what would become the Group Mentoring Program.
Planning officially began in January 2021 at Terry W. Kitchen Jr. High School in partnership with Principal Garrett Cook and agency staff. After months of collaboration and preparation, the Group Mentoring Program launched in April 2021.
What started as a single cohort serving one school has grown into a regional initiative that now serves youth across five school districts and eight schools.
What Youth Experience
Weekly Mentoring Sessions
Youth connect regularly with mentors and peers through structured group discussions and developmental activities.
Monthly Enrichment Experiences
Interactive experiences expose participants to new opportunities, careers, community resources, and life experiences.
Leadership Development
Students build confidence, communication skills, goal-setting abilities, and leadership capacity.
Life Skills & Academic Support
Programming helps youth strengthen decision-making, problem-solving, resilience, and academic achievement.
Positive Relationships
Participants learn the importance of healthy peer relationships, teamwork, respect, and community engagement
Our Team
Kaelan Mayfield
Director of Nexxt Level Mentoring
St. louis, St. Charles,
Cape Girardeau, Sikeston
Mentoring Site Supervisor
Southern Region
Lead Mentor
Sikeston
Sikeston 5th and 6th Grade Center
Lead Mentor
Sikeston
Sikeston 5th and 6th Grade Center
JaQori Williams
Lead Mentor
Cape Girardeau
Terry W. Kitchen Central Junior High & Cape Central High
Nexxt Level Mentoring Manager
University City District
Brittany Woods Middle School
Dwayne Jennings
Nexxt Level Mentoring Manager
Francis Howell School District
Barnwell Middle School
Growth & Impact
Since its launch, the program has:
- Expanded from one school to eight schools across Eastern Missouri
- Reached youth in five school districts
- Increased mentoring opportunities for both boys and girls
- Doubled the number of youth served in Cape Girardeau and Sikeston
- Positioned for continued growth throughout the St. Louis and St. Charles regions
- Created stronger partnerships between schools, families, and community organizations
HELP US make a difeerence
We serve 9,000+ youth each year because of the generosity and partnership with caring volunteers and donors. There are hundreds of new youth and families who want our support, and we need your help. One more volunteer makes a huge difference!