Youths and law enforcement officers in the Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Capital Region (BBBSCR) Bigs in Blue program participated in the annual field trip to the Pennsylvania State Police (PSP) Academy on May 13 to learn about law enforcement careers. PSP instructors provided a demonstration on how troopers are trained to safely respond to calls for service, talked about the Basic Training Program for cadets, and answered students' questions about their day-to-day responsibilities.

Mentors and mentees decorated their own law enforcement Bigs in Blue badges to take home and participated in interactive fitness activities. Attendees were then invited to view and learn about the PSP helicopter, the Special Emergency Response Team, the Tactical Mounted Unit, Patrol Operations, and more.

PSP began participating in the Bigs in Blue program in 2017. Personnel of all ranks from various locations take part in the site-based program, visiting with their mentees for school lunches, recesses, and one-on-one conversations or assistance with classwork.

For more than 40 years, BBBSCR has created and supported one-to-one mentoring relationships intended to ignite the power and promise of at-risk youths in the capital region. The organization uses evidence-based best practices to achieve personalized outcomes and support matches, which last one to 10 years. BBBSCR is a 501(c)(3) charity registered with the state Bureau of Corporations and Charitable Organizations and is an affiliate of Big Brothers Big Sisters of America. For more information, visit http://www.capbigs.org.