Teaching students how to:

About
the Bigs Project
About The Bigs Project
THE BIGS PROJECT gets students excited about their careers.
Through this fun and engaging career exploration program, high school and college students learn how to choose, get, and do a great job.
The Bigs/Year Up
Closing the opportunity divide by providing internships and opportunities.
Our partnership with Year Up provides students with the opportunity to learn more about how to choose, get, and do a great job through The Bigs while also connecting them to internship opportunities through Year Up.
About Ben Carpenter
LEARN ABOUT BEN, THE founder of THE BIGS PROJECT
The Bigs Project began in response to an email asking "Okay to send?" from Ben's daughter, Avery. In Ben's 22 bullet response to her, he outlined a roadmap for career success. This list became the basis for Ben's best-selling book, The Bigs Project: The Secrets Nobody Tells Students and Young Professionals About How to Find a Great Job, Do a Great Job, Be a Leader, Start a Business, Stay Out of Trouble, and Live A Happy Life. Ben adapted his book into a career exploration program, and has inspired and excited high school and college students across the country through the program's message.
the Bigs Testimonials
Our career exploration program has been implemented at a cross-section of schools and organizations across the country. Students and administrators unanimously agree the program makes an enormous impact on getting students excited about taking the first steps in their careers.
Reach out to us if you would like to learn more about booking The Bigs at your school.
"The BIGS curriculum has truly increased the knowledge of our high school class of 2019. The BIGS helped us introduce our high school students to career readiness: understanding life & career in preparation for college and beyond. Our students enjoyed the book and learned so much about themselves during the process. Our main touch point was to truly understand ones-self, personality traits and how that can positively impact career objectives and life long goals. The experiential learning piece was very important, students left our six-week workshop feeling empowered to continue their path learning about careers, college, and the Big Leagues." -Kelonda Maull, High School & College Coordinator | Horizons at GFA
“After hearing Ben speak in person, I learned not only what it takes to succeed in a cutthroat business environment, but I now have a better understanding of how to obtain my dream job, no matter what professional field I end up pursuing. Ben was open and honest about his path to success and his failures along the way, which made his message that much more relatable and effective. After reading The Bigs and hearing Ben’s perspective in person, I feel confident going into my summer internship (now it would be my first full time position) that I can make an impact and stand out as a leader.” - Elle Wilson | Duke University Association for Business Oriented Women
When I finish high school I would like to pursue a career in the medical field, more specifically a neonatal nurse. In my opinion, the book The Bigs Project that was given to me during the presentation was a very big help at putting my nerves at ease. It states that if I take those steps presented in the book and follow the guidelines given, I will definitely find the career that best suits me if the career I chose previously doesn't work out. I believe both the presentation and the book encourages everyone, including myself, to venture out and put in the effort to find a job that I will end up loving.
Ben Carpenter, in partnership with SUNY and the College Bound Initiative, hosted and presented to a group of 35 highly engaged high school students from the College Bound Initiative program. The College Bound Initiative program is based out of New York City whose mission is to empower young women and men to realize their higher education and life potential by placing full-time college guidance experts in high-need public schools. The students were able to receive a very personalized visit with Ben and had many great questions for him about the Bigs book and his own personal journey. At the end of the event, all students filled out a survey asking them what they gained from the presentation. All of the students rated the presentation very favorably, and each one of them had noted a piece of advice that Ben had given them throughout his presentation. The students found his presentation to be “amazing” and they were given “the tools to be successful.” Overall, the event was a huge success and will be an experience that they will not forget. Thanks Ben!
"The Bigs has an opportunity to make a huge impact on your students’ lives! Parents and students alike loved the format and the information. Parents expressed their gratitude for bringing this information to their students."
"It was great to have The Bigs Project come to SHS. Our seniors were thoroughly engaged in both the video and the Q & A with Ben afterwards. In the days since the assembly, many of our seniors are more deeply exploring the ideas and advice from Ben in their Business Math class. We hope to bring The Bigs Project back to SHS in the fall to allow for a full year of his wisdom to be used by our students."
"Not only was The Bigs extremely insightful and informative, but it was also very fun to read. In fact, I enjoyed Mr. Carpenter's stories so much I was sad when I got to Part Two because that meant his funny anecdotes were over and it was time for business."
"Thank you for sharing such an interesting and thought-provoking presentation. The students, mentors, staff and faculty found your presentation very informative and enjoyed your remarks. The students loved how you interjected humor into the presentation. They also enjoyed you talking about your career paths as well as the candid guidance and advice they were given. I heard nothing but praise from the mentors that attended the event. Your willingness to share this invaluable information with our students and mentors resulted in an informative and most enjoyable event. We all appreciate the time your spent coming to NCC to discuss The Bigs."
"Ben motivated students to take risks and work hard to reach their goals. He provided invaluable guidance to the students looking to stand out amongst the crowd, starting as early as their freshmen year. His personal stories left students inspired and energized to get involved and take command of their own future."
“Our young students immediately connected with The Bigs message, all because of Ben’s relatable personal stories. They listened and laughed, all while learning how important it is to plan for a happy life. The world of work has changed, and we need to prepare young people earlier in order to help them be successful at work and in life."
"I just wanted to say thank you for taking your time today to allow fellow peers and I to learn about the internship opportunities and more about the college application process. I now know more about the EOP programs and about how I can get more involved with my future as of right now especially with Carpenter's book The Bigs. I'm very excited to read the book and learn nifty tricks to success. I look forward to any future encounters and occurrences if they present themselves!" - Christy C. | CollegeBound Initiative
"As we go about “reinventing” the old model of career services to fit the 21st century and the demands of the millennial generation of students, Elon University has actively been reaching out to experienced executives to help our students connect to the “real world” of work. Ben Carpenter was one of the best in delivering his real world examples to our students, and his practical sense of advice was well received by a sell-out crowd that was hungry for these lessons of experience. Ben relates his own professional story and the story of his children in launching their careers, and his advice is universally relevant to all students regardless of their major or intended profession. His book, The Bigs, is talked about by our students, and will be required reading by one of our faculty members. Our students have had the opportunity to gain valuable career insight from The Bigs’ participation at Elon."