ABOUT 60 MEN IN 60 DAYS
Big Brothers Big Sisters is looking for 60 good men to be a friend, a role model, a mentor to at least 60 boys in our community and we’ve given ourselves 60 days to do it. The campaign starts on June 1, 2019 and will end July 31, 2019.
WHY MEN?
Big Brothers Big Sisters traditionally has more boys waiting for a mentor than girls because women are more likely to volunteer than men. In our program, nearly 70% of the children who want a mentor are boys, yet only 30% of the adults who volunteer are men. Most boys wait at least 9 months to be matched with a male mentor and some can wait up to two years, if they ever get matched.
WHAT DO I NEED TO DO AS A MENTOR?
A mentor is defined as a “wise advisor”. In Big Brothers Big Sisters terms, a mentor is an older individual who is there to spend time with a younger person to support their development, provide friendship and guidance, and offer a different perspective on the world. Basically, mentoring is an additional caring relationship for a kid.
Mentors (Bigs) spend time with mentees (Littles) doing anything related to recreation, education or social and life skills. Mentoring can take place out in the community or a at school partner site.
A mentor provides inspiration, acceptance, a sympathetic ear and exposure to new ideas and activities. Children matched with mentors show improvement in the following areas:
- Confidence, self-esteem and sense of hope
- Academic grades
- School attendance
- Interactions with peers, parents and teachers
- Social and communication skills
- More likely to finish high school and less likely to be involved in criminal activities
Mentoring makes a BIG difference. Studies show that children matched with mentors are:
- 80% more likely to finish high school
- 46% less likely to use drugs
- 27% less likely to use alcohol
- 52% less likely to skip school
PROGRAMS
Community-based mentoring – Spending time out in the community is primarily how Mentors (Bigs) and Mentees (Littles) develop their relationship. After all, to change a child’s perspective of the world, it helps to spend time in it. The Community-based program is highly flexible and allows for endless possibilities for Bigs to connect with their Littles.
School-based mentoring – Sometimes the best place for enjoying activities together is a the child’s school. And, the best part is, it can be a great learning experience, in or out of the classroom. Students enjoy having their Bigs meet with them once per week, and teachers know what a positive impact it makes.
Mentor2.0 (available in Albuquerque only) – Mentor2.0 matches high school students with college-educated mentors and provides them with the support and guidance they need to graduate high school succed in college and workforce. Mentor/mentee matches get to know each other through an innovative combination of weekly messages (via a secure web-based platform) and monthly group events held at the high school hosted and organized by mentor2.0 staff.
ENROLLMENT PROCESS
Safety is our #1 priority. Here are the steps that all of our volunteers must take prior to being matched with a child. Please note that it can take up to 8 weeks to move your application through the process.