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.

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. Click to learn more about our Nationwide School-Based Mentoring Study.

School Mentors must be at least 16 years old and volunteer for a full calendar year. High school volunteers must be sophomores or juniors at time of application.

• Interested in becoming a volunteer in our School-Based program? Click here >
• Need more information about volunteering? Click here > 
• Want to make a donation to support our programs? Click here > 

Native American Mentoring- Pine Ridge Reservation

We recognize how important it is for Native American children to have positive role models in their lives—volunteers that understand their circumstances and can help guide them toward a more positive future. It’s so critical, in fact, that Big Brothers Big Sisters of America created the Big Brothers Big Sisters’ Native American Mentoring Initiative.

The initiative is designed to both encourage and recruit greater numbers of Native American children and adults to participate. The program is run under the guidance of formal and informal American Indian/Alaska Native Advisors and elders, American Indian/Alaska Native board members and community organizations to help ensure our programmatic approaches are culturally relevant, strategic and sustainable for the future.

Pine Ridge High School juniors can start getting involved right now. Native American Mentoring is being offered between Pine Ridge High School Juniors and Pine Ridge grade school students residing in the Pine Ridge Dormitory. Matches will meet in the Pine Ridge Dormitory.

For more information about Native American Mentoring please contact the Native American Mentoring Match Support Specialist at 605-863-1624.