Mentoring Programs
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"Expanding horizons through the power of one-to-one friendships."
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Big Brothers Big Sisters serves more than 225,000 children in 5,000 communities across all 50 states. There are two core Big Brothers Big Sisters programs:
Big Brothers Big Sisters - Community-basedVolunteers provide Littles with one-on-one time and attention in their communities, typically two to four times a month. During these unstructured outings they cultivate relationships that provide children with skills to manage every day challenges. Through simple friendship, Bigs experience the joy of helping children discover a world of possibilities and opportunities.
Professional staff will guide you through the enrollment process, match you with a child with compatible interests, and then provide ongoing support for your match. Match activities and trainings are provided by the agency to enhance the match relationship.
Our Foster Care Mentoring program is within this program. More information is located at our Mentoring Youth in Foster Care page.
Volunteers provide Littles with one-on-one time and attention in a specific location, which could be a school, community center, or the Boys and Girls Club. These programs provide structure and offers a safe meeting place, which appeals to parents, children and volunteers.
In our School-based program, matches typically meet once a week during the academic year. Teachers identify children who can benefit most from interaction with a caring role model. Volunteers can mentor children during the school day, or during after-school programs. More information is located at our Mentoring Youth in Schools page.
In our Site-based program, volunteers meet with Littles at a specific location. Volunteers meet with their Littles for one hour each week after school, or in the afternoons during summer time. Currently, BBBS has programs at the Lacey Boys and Girls Club,Tumwater Boys and Girls Club, Rochester Boys and Girls Club, Evergreen Villages Community Center, and Rochester Organization for Families (ROOF) Community Center.
Within these two programs, we pay special attention to working with underserved populations. These include:
- Native American populations
- Children of Incarerated Parents
- Foster Care Children
Other aspects of our programs include:
HARK Program: Hiking and Recreation for Kids
Since 2008, we have partnered with The Olympia Mountaineers to introduce children in our program and their adult mentors to the great outdoors. Learn about more HARK activities on our Events Calendar page.
Washington State Parks and Recreation, the Mountaineers Foundation, Alpine Experience, and the Tacoma Mountaineers are helping to make this partnership possible through funding, donations, equipment loans and discounts. |
High School Bigs
High school juniors and seniors provide elementary student Littles with one-on-one time and attention, once a week during the academic year. The pairs meet during or after school hours depending on the proximity of their school locations. High School Bigs experience the joy and life changing power of service, build college resumes, and may receive school credits. Littles have the opportunity to connect with a role model close to their own age whom they identify with strongly.
Corporate Volunteers
Businesses and corporations partner with local Big Brothers Big Sisters affiliates to encourage volunteerism and community support among their employees. Employees are recruited and enrolled as a group, and paired one-on-one with children in a nearby school. Typically, volunteers meet with their Littles once a week during their lunch hour.
Frequently Asked Questions
What activities do matches do together?
Matches will do everyday activities like playing sports, seeing a movie, cooking, going over schoolwork, visiting a museum, washing the car, taking a walk, volunteering in their community, or just hanging out. And as in any friendship, it is the spontaneous, small moments of shared fun or discovery that you will remember forever. Our Match Support staff provide help finding free or low cost activities.
Who are the children in our programs?
Little Brothers and Little Sisters are children (ages 5-18) who are in need of another positive influence in their lives to have fun with while receiving guidance and support outside of their immediate family. The majority of children in our program are involved because their parent/guardian recognized the need for specific attention.
What is your biggest program need?
Although we are seeking all volunteers, we particularly need male mentors.
Nationally, more than 70% of our children are waiting for a mentor are boys, but only three out of every 10 inquiries to volunteer come from men. Research shows that having the positive influence of a Big Brother makes a real difference in the life of a boy.
What is the process for becoming a volunteer?
In our Community based programs, the enrollment process includes: fingerprint and name based background checks, driving record check, three references, and a personal interview.
The Site and School based programs have a simpler enrollment process, given their more structured and supervised setting. |
