Big Brothers Big Sisters of Berks County is a 501(c )(3) organization, committed to providing quality mentoring services to at-risk youth ages 8-19 (primarily from single-parent households).  Our mission is to create and support one-to-one mentoring relationships to ignite the power and promise of youth.  We accomplish our mission through professionally-directed mentoring programs utilizing carefully screened and trained volunteers.  We currently have four (4) free mentoring programs in operation:  the One-To-One program (our best known service), COUL (the Club of Unmatched Littles), TEEN (for our older clients), and our school-based program called SMART (Students & Mentors Achieving Results Together).  All services are provided free of charge to our Littles and their families.

In the spirit of inquiry and discovery embodied by Benjamin Franklin, the mission of The Franklin Institute is to inspire a passion for learning about science and technology.

Science and technology are essential to providing students with a solid academic foundation, and to helping adults understand critical issues so that they can make informed decisions. The Franklin Institute is committed to providing resources that enable students, families and adults to engage with science and technology in creative ways that resonate with all learners, and making these resources as widely available as possible. 

In the 196 years since its founding, the Institute has become an anchor among Philadelphia’s cultural organizations, a partner in the region’s self-directed science learning efforts, and an educational resource that welcomes everyone in the community, regardless of means. Serving nearly 1 million students, families and educators each year, the Institute is the most visited museum in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. The Institute looks forward to continuing to fulfill its mission to inspire a passion for learning about science and technology and to shape the next generation of scientists.