Big Sibs project canceled after partner school loses charter

The Princeton Big Sibs project, a program through which members of the Class of 2016 mentor low-income students at City Invincible charter school in Camden, N.J., has been discontinued because City Invincible did not have its charter renewed. Thiswas due to the fact that student test scores in the school were below those in the host district.

“It was pretty upsetting for us,” Big Sibs co-chair Sofia Gomez ’16 said. “We’ve seen these kids’ drawings, exchanged emails, formed real connections with these kids. It was hard to realize that we probably wouldn’t be seeing them again.”

The news about the school’s shutdown was first made known to Class of 2016 president Justin Ziegler and the Big Sibs board in late May. After the news that there would no longer be a partnership with City Invincible was made official, the Big Sibs board notified members via email.

Ziegler explained that he and the board have now entered a transition period, brainstorming and refocusing the project while communicating with groups associated with the PACE Center, such as Community House and the Princeton-Blairstown Center, a nearby group that has provided the University community with volunteering and service opportunities. Gomez said that while plans are not yet finalized, the project is most likely to partner with Community House due to its convenient location on campus. Ziegler expressed enthusiasm about partnering with the PACE Center to supplement existing projects on campus and existing goals, such as working to reduce achievement gaps.

Ziegler said the idea of launching a project like Big Sibs was inspired two years ago by a desire to stimulate class unity through service, noting that University alumni already have a tradition of engaging in similar class service projects at their fifth reunions. He said that the Big Sibs have had a unique opportunity to mentor low-income students and to form particularly meaningful bonds with them.

“The relationship has been beneficial for both sides,” Ziegler said. “We really felt that personal connection to the students and even the teachers.”

While Gomez said that disappointment was inevitable in light of the bad news, she emphasized the importance of staying positive.

“We were definitely able to see over the past year and a half the important impact that we’ve had. [The kids] would always get so excited, learning a lot about a different environment,” she said.

Sol Taubin ’16, a member of the Big Sibs board, said that while it was inevitable that the program would have to change, the board will continue to build community through service-learning opportunities and that it is important to maintain perspective on the larger mission of service and the pressing issues of education reform and mentorship.

Ziegler also expressed hope that in the coming years, the Big Sibs service project would extend to other classes at the University as well.