Become a BIG Team
Do you remember that one caring supportive relationship that was there for you when you were younger? We know you can still recall many of the lessons you learned and memories you made. Are you ready to step-up and share that same experience with a young person in Calgary and Area? Be a BIG today!
Have a group of employees who want to make a BIG difference- become a mentoring team! We are looking for mentors or Bigs, and what better way to build team camaraderie than to volunteer in a school or in your community together.
Option: BIG Pen Pal
Mentoring a child through Big Brothers Big Sisters (BBBS) gives volunteers the opportunity to connect with the younger generation while sharing their wisdom, experiences and stories. The new Big Pen Pal Program matches caring adult mentors with elementary aged students to be Pen Pals. BBBS will match the volunteer with a Little Pen Pal to write to. Big Pen Pal focuses on creating connections and building relationships in the community. The program is a fun and engaging way to lessen the effects of social isolation and provides an opportunity to be creative while increasing literacy skills. In the new times that we live in, it's important to connect to the younger generation in traditional ways- while still building strong connections with caring adults!
TIME COMMITMENT: 1-2 hours every two weeks
Option: Mentoring in a School
Meeting weekly at the school or virtually, mentors build self-confidence and resiliency in elementary and junior high school students through a variety of activities including, board games, arts and crafts, reading and sports. You can be part of building better brains and remove barriers to success for young people in your community.
A great component to School-Based Mentoring is we can work with employees to match them in a school that is close to your office, they can go through their training together, and then travel together on a weekly basis to support mentoring in a local school.
All applicants complete an initial application, interview and training before being matched with a young person. Our caring, professional team will be there with you the entire way, ensuring you have all the support you need in applying, making a connection with your Little, and being the best mentor you can be.
TIME COMMITMENT: 1 hour per week for one year (excluding school breaks)
Option: Mentoring in the Community
Mentors meet with their mentees to explore the community, build natural supports and broaden their experiences of the world. In this community based program matches build a strong connection participating in activities from soccer games to symphonies and now incorporate virtual connection as well. This program is a fit for you if you can express care, challenge growth, provide support, share power, and expand possibilities.
TIME COMMITMENT: 2-5 hours per week for one year.
Ready to schedule your next steps to becoming a volunteer mentor? Looking for more information? CLICK HERE
Important Note: Young people in Calgary and Area are living in a remarkable and historical period of enforced social isolation. COVID-19 has applied significant pressure to a community already greatly impacted by an economic downturn, and young people in particular are under great stress as they lack access to their regular routines and their school and community supports. Neuroscience research tells us that supportive, nurturing relationships, like those fostered by BBBS, are critical to buffering the impact of toxic stress caused by adversity (Harvard Center on the Developing Child). We are therefore working to continue to nurture the 1:1 mentoring relationships that we provide to ensure that children and youth are given the opportunity to develop healthy behaviours, effective interpersonal relationships, and strong civic engagement. This work now includes the addition of virtual supports along with in-person mentoring relationships.
Get Your Points: To secure your Charity Challenge Point you must have at least one employee who has completed their application process and is booked in for their training and interview before October 31, 2022. Note that an employee can apply as either a BIG Pen Pal, School-Based or Community-Based Mentor to receive a Charity Challenge Point.
