The information in this program outline is provided by the program representative and edited by the CEBC staff. Big Brothers Big Sisters (BBBS) has been rated by the CEBC in the area of: Mentoring Programs (Child & Adolescent).

Each youth is matched with a carefully screened and trained volunteer adult or high school mentor, and matches meet once a week at school (school-based program) or in community settings (community-based program). Matches can spend their time together talking, doing homework, doing crafts, playing games or sports, and in community-based matches, they spend time doing activities in the community like attending cultural events, going to restaurants or movies, or exploring other interests. Independent Big Brothers Big Sisters agencies provide support, ongoing training, and resources to the mentor (“Big”) and mentee (“Little”) to enable development of a positive and trusting relationship. Agencies may also organize activities or events for matches to attend. Agencies are responsible for obtaining their own funding and implementing their program based on the national Standards of Practice and Service Delivery Model. In addition to the foundational mentoring program, agencies may offer specific programs targeted at particular populations of children (such as Hispanic Mentoring, Native American Mentoring, Military Mentoring, or mentoring for children of incarcerated parents) or focused on particular activities or skill-development (such as workplace mentoring).

Target Population: Youth aged 6-18 who may come from disadvantaged situations, such as single-parent homes, low-income homes, or homes with an absent parent (e.g., a parent in the military or a parent who is incarcerated).

For children/adolescents ages: 6 – 18