Big Brothers Big Sisters of Northwest Washington

community-based mentoring | school buddies mentoring | the power of mentoring

Programs

One adult. One child. Measurable results. Independent research has shown that a Little Brother or Little Sister who is matched for one year or more is more likely to graduate high school, attend college, and to show more respect to adults.

For more than 30 years locally, Big Brothers Big Sisters has been recognized as one of the most effective youth development programs in the United States. Our program matches a volunteer Big Brother or Big Sister (the “Big”) with a child (the “Little”) who could benefit from a one-to-one relationship with a caring adult.

Big Brothers Big Sisters of Northwest Washington offers services to all children in Whatcom and Skagit Counties. In 2010, we served over 300 local children, all of whom are matched with caring, adult mentors. Some of our matches get together to enjoy activities on their own throughout the area, while others meet at specific schools for fun-filled activities. Scroll down to learn more about the different programs offered by Big Brothers Big Sisters of Northwest Washington.

The simple truth is: the more positive examples, education, and opportunities young people have in their lives, the more chances they have to succeed in today’s world as providers, protectors and mentors to their own children and communities.

Reaching out to one child affects a community

Our Community-Based Mentoring program is a minimum one-year program in which the Big and Little consistently meet 6-12 hours a month.* Matches are made with considerations to geographic location, interests, activities and personalities.

Getting together is a great time for both Bigs and Littles. It doesn’t require a special occasion or expensive activities; just a few times every month sharing simple things you already enjoy with a young person. Things like…

  • Shooting hoops
  • Playing a board game
  • Sharing a pizza
  • Taking a walk in the park
  • Just hanging out and talking

Who are the volunteers?

Community-Based mentors vary in age, gender, professions and interests. One quality all mentors share is the desire to offer emotional support, guidance, consistency, and friendship. Through a mentor’s encouragement, a boy or girl can achieve his/her potential.

The essence of creating strong mentor-mentee matches is the careful selection, training and support of volunteers. Applicant processing includes a Washington state criminal background check, two written references, and an in-person interview.

Who are the youth?

Children in the Community-Based Mentoring program are kids who could greatly benefit from additional adult guidance. Boys and girls are referred to the program for many reasons: many children come from homes where quality adult attention is limited by single-parenthood, many siblings or transitional housing, including foster care. Whatever the circumstances, these children need an adult in their lives who is caring, consistent, knows how to listen and can be a good role model.

For more information about our Community-Based Program contact Colleen Haggerty at (360) 671-6400 (102). Or to enroll your child in the program, click here.

* Time commitments indicated are the minimum requirements only. It is the hope that the match will continue for much longer.

School Buddies mentoring makes school fun! As a school-based Big Brother or Big Sister, you can improve the life of a local child simply by spending one hour per week at his or her school.

Remember edible paste, short chairs, and recess?

The School Buddies Program is an innovative approach created by Big Brothers Big Sisters to reach a more diverse population of children. The program is designed to improve youth’s social skills as well as foster academic performance. The volunteer meets with the student on the school campus, once a week during school hours, for a minimum of one school year. They play games, shoot hoops, just hang out or work on homework. We have found that programs that encourage activities with a socio-emotional focus are more likely to have greater academic impact, higher quality and longer duration compared to programs that focus on academic/tutoring activities.

The essence of creating strong mentor-student matches is the careful selection, training and support of volunteers. Applicant processing includes a Washington state criminal background check (including fingerprinting), two written references, and an in-person interview.

Mentoring DOES make a difference.

Students involved in Big Brothers Big Sisters’ School Buddies Program were assessed by teachers, parents and volunteers for two consecutive school years. The results were very encouraging. They:

  • developed more positive attitudes toward school.
  • achieved higher grades in math, social studies and languages.
  • experienced improved relationships with adults.
  • experienced improved relationships with peers.
  • were better able to express feelings.
  • developed increased self-confidence.
  • were more likely to trust their teacher.

Participating Schools

Alderwood Elementary • Cordata Elementary • Happy Valley Elementary

Parkview Elementary • Roosevelt Elementary • Sunnyland Elementary

Kulshan Middle School • Whatcom Middle School • Shuksan Middle School

For more information on the School Buddies Program, contact Colleen Haggerty at (360) 671.6400 (102).

We transform communities. By matching children with adult mentors in one-to-one relationships, we transform the life of a child (a Little), transform the life of an adult (a Big) and together transform our schools, our neighborhoods and our communities for the better and for generations to come.

Our programs are transformational: Our focus is to connect Bigs (adults) with Littles (children) in one-to-one relationships that not only transform the lives of the Bigs and Littles and their families, but that also transform communities.

Simple acts of mentoring yield powerful results. Our data shows that more than 97% of our Littles avoid contact with juvenile authorities. In fact, independent studies have confirmed that, in contrast to their non-mentored peers, Little Brothers and Little Sisters:

  • Decreased their use of violence – 30% were less likely to hit someone.
  • Improved relationships with peers, adults and parent(s) – 37% became more trusting of their parent or guardian, and 35% got along better with their peers.
  • Resisted substance abuse – 46% less likely to begin using illegal drugs.
  • Improved school attendance – 52% were less likely to skip school.