Chautauqua Striders has been awarded $150,000 through the 2026 Highmark Blue Cross Blue Shield Blue Fund
Chautauqua Striders has been awarded $150,000 to strengthen youth mentoring and social-emotional learning (SEL) programming in Chautauqua County.
The funding is coming through the 2026 Highmark Blue Cross Blue Shield Blue Fund and will have a particular focus on Northern Chautauqua County.
Chautauqua Striders was selected as one of 20 nonprofit organizations and community partners receiving the award, following a highly competitive grant cycle that drew more than 200 applications. The Highmark Blue Cross Blue Shield Blue Fund awarded a total of $3.75 million this year.
The grant will allow Chautauqua Striders to establish new programming in the Dunkirk area in partnership with the Boys & Girls Club of Northern Chautauqua County. It will also support current programs including school, community, peer and project-based mentoring at Jamestown Public Schools, school and community-based mentoring within the Bemus Point, Falconer, Frewsburg and Southwestern school districts, family engagement events, and evidence-based SEL programming, including bilingual offerings.
Chautauqua Striders has provided programming in Northern Chautauqua County for the past two years. Through its partnership with the Boys & Girls Club of Northern Chautauqua County, Chautauqua Striders currently provides tutoring and academic assistance to students in Dunkirk and the surrounding area.
Starting in January 2027, Chautauqua Striders will grow its presence in the Dunkirk community by offering mentoring and SEL programming, creating additional opportunities for young people to develop social and interpersonal skills in a supportive environment.
Mentoring and SEL programming help students develop positive relationships at school, at home, and within their communities while strengthening social and emotional skills that contribute to long-term success. Among parents of students participating in the programs, 90% report that their children experienced a decrease in troubling emotional symptoms, conduct problems, hyperactivity and/or challenges with peers.
Mentors spend approximately 2–4 hours per month with their mentee. School-based and project-based mentoring opportunities are available, allowing mentors to connect with students during the school day or after school. Community-based mentors and mentees may participate in a variety of activities together throughout the community, from visiting the library or attending a baseball game to enjoying coffee, watching a movie, or sharing new experiences together.
Currently, Chautauqua Striders has a wait list of over 60 students in need of a mentor in the Jamestown Public School district. With the expansion of programming into the Dunkirk City School District, recruitment of mentors within the North County region will begin in early January 2027. Community members interested in becoming a mentor can learn more at https://chqstriders.org/mentoring/.
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