PROGRAMS
$500
TO RECRUIT A BIG
750
KIDS WAITING YOUR DONATION
$1,500
TO MATCH AND SUPPORT
Our Mentoring Programs are designed to be flexible and can adapt to a variety of individual personalities, situations and schedules.
Looking to get involved? Whether you’re interested in donating, volunteering or enrolling your child, Big Brothers Big Sisters offers several types of programs in communities across the country.
COMMUNITY BASED MENTORING
Volunteer mentors (Bigs) and their mentees (Littles) meet on weekends or after school to enjoy match activities, play sports, visit museums or just talk. Spending time together out in the local community is how Bigs and Littles develop a solid relationship.
Bigs and Littles engage in one-to-one outings and activities they both enjoy between two and four times a month.
COMMUNITY BASED
MENTORING
SITE-BASED
MENTORING
Sometimes the best place for a mentoring match to enjoy activities together is at the Little’s school or in the Big’s workplace. We are proud to offer three types of Site-Based Mentoring Programs.
- Beyond School Walls: Littles visit their Bigs during the week at their workplace, giving children an opportunity to experience the corporate world first-hand and to set goals for the future.
- College Bigs: College students are matched with elementary and middle school students and spend time together at the Little’s school during lunchtime or after school.
BEYOND
SCHOOL WALLS
The Beyond School Walls mentoring program expands a child’s perspective by spending one-on-one time with their Big during the school day. We build partnerships with companies throughout the region and match their employees with children from local schools. In this program, Littles will be transported from a local school to your office -a great first glimpse of the business world! No matter what they do, the time that Bigs and Littles spend together is proven to enhance school performance.
LGBTQ
PROGRAMS
Research has consistently demonstrated that LGBTQ+ youth are at higher risks in a number of areas that impede healthy and safe development. Big Brothers Big Sisters Independence is proud to support its LGBTQ+ community through our Pride Empowerment Program (PEP) and our Rainbow Bigs program.
In our Pride Empowerment Program (PEP), BBBSI partners with local schools to support LGBTQ+ youth by recruiting safe, responsible, and compassionate LGBTQ+ volunteers to be group mentors to high school Gender and Sexuality Alliances – a safe/brave space for queer and questioning youth. Volunteers attend regular after-school meetings for 12 months and work to help their mentees achieve their goals and realize their full potential.
In our Rainbow Bigs program, mentors who identify as LGBTQ+ are matched with a young person in our community-based program who has made a specific request to be matched with a Big who identifies in this community.
ADDITIONAL DETAILS
Big Brothers Big Sisters Independence is proud to support its LGBTQ community through our Gender and Sexuality Alliance (GSA) Program.
Research has consistently demonstrated that LGBTQ youth are at higher risks in a number of areas that impede healthy and safe development. We are partnering with local schools to support our LGBTQ youth by recruiting safe, responsible, and compassionate LGBTQ Volunteers to be group mentors to high school Gender and Sexuality Alliances – a safe/brave space for queer and questioning youth. Volunteers attend regular after-school meetings for 12 months and work to help their mentees achieve their goals and realize their full potential.
For additional information and details about our GSA Program, please contact:
Katie Stecklair
KStecklair@IndependenceBigs.
484-482-1417
POWER UP
Pathways to Opportunity with Empowering Relationships
OUR STORIES
Whitney & Anayah
Whitney and Anayah have been matched since September 2012. The duo recently had the honor of being one of five matches to walk the runway in BBBS SEPA’s annual Fashion for a Cause event!
April & Brianna
TEAM Vanguard Powered by Big Brothers Big Sisters Southeastern PA is a unique mentoring program in which Vanguard employees serve as mentors to 48 eleventh and twelfth grade students at Mariana Bracetti Academy (MBA). April, a Vanguard employee for 24 years, met her Little Sister Brianna in February 2013, and they have both been greatly impacted by the program.
Roxiann & Travis
Growing up, Big Sister Roxiann had an amazing stepmother who helped her realize how important it was to have a role model in her life. Knowing how much that relationship meant to her, Roxiann decided she wanted to give back. She got involved with Big Brothers Big Sisters Southeastern PA and was matched with her Little Brother, Travis, more than 10 years ago.
Alex & Zahir
Some of our supporters know Alex Toner as our Development Officer, working to bring in monetary donations to further our agency’s mission. But to eleven-year old Zahir, Alex is his Big Brother.