Pamela Cantor, M.D. Delivers Keynote at the 2026 Big Brothers Big Sisters National Conference
Dr. Cantor gave a mainstage keynote to the Bigs and Littles of Big Brothers Big Sisters in Atlanta about the science of mentoring and why connection is infrastructure for a child.
Pamela Cantor, M.D. gave a mainstage keynote and a super session at the 2026 Big Brothers Big Sisters National Conference in Atlanta. The four-day conference brings together agency leaders, staff, mentors, and young people from across the Big Brothers Big Sisters network for sessions on youth mental health and wellness, leadership, and program innovation, and to celebrate the impact of mentorship. Big Brothers Big Sisters has spent more than a hundred years building connections one pair at a time.
Dr. Cantor spoke about the science behind why that work matters. A relationship that begins as an assignment can still change the direction of a young person's life, and the quality and duration of the bond are what count. Her message to the room was that mentorship is cultivation, not selection: the work of creating the conditions in which a young person's promise becomes visible.
"For a child, connection is infrastructure."
— Pamela Cantor, M.D.
