School-Based Mentoring

It may sound obvious, but sometimes the best place to help a child realize their potential is at school. Kids enjoy having their Bigs meet with them there, whether it’s in the classroom or on the playground. And parents know what a positive impact it makes.

A volunteer “Lunch Buddy” meets one-to-one with a child at a local school, once a week, for 30-40 minutes over the child’s lunch time, for at least one school year.  During this time, a Lunch Buddy can help a child improve their reading skills, play a board game, or work on a craft, play outside or just hang out and chat.

High School Heroes

This “Lunch Buddy” is an adult community member or, through a new program called “High School Heroes”, it can be an approved high school student.  To find out about the program and how to register your child click here.  If you’re a high school  junior or senior and want to know more about how to become a “High School Hero” for this new program click here.

It’s teacher-approved.

Some of the biggest supporters of our School-Based Mentoring program are actually teachers. They see students come back from their time with their Big filled with confidence, smiling big, ready to learn and eager to succeed.

Learning about life.

Although it takes place at schools, our School-Based Mentoring program isn’t limited to the classroom. Of course, some Littles do talk with their Bigs about class, or do homework, or read together, but it’s perfectly fine to shoot hoops in the gym or play on the playground. At the end of the day, it’s really all about starting a friendship, providing guidance and inspiring them to reach their potential.

At Big Brothers Big Sisters, we have tremendous confidence in our ability to impact children and put them on the right path. But it means even more when an outside study comes to the same conclusion.