Become a Defender of Potential! Mentor a child!

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Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Mississippi Valley is an independent affiliate of Big Brothers Big Sisters of America, the nation's largest and oldest youth mentoring organization. Founded in 1907, BBBSA utilizes national and local standards to implement successful youth mentoring programs that have measurable results in children. Locally, Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Mississippi Valley was established in 1987 and impacts hundreds of children annually through our structured mentoring programs.

Our Mission: Big Brothers Big Sisters exists to provide children facing adversity with strong and enduring professionally supported one-to-one relationships that change their lives for the better forever.
Local Vision: All children achieve success in life.

Big Brothers Big Sisters offers one-on-one mentoring programs between adult volunteers and area youth. Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Mississippi Valley offers mentoring environments designed to meet the needs of our Littles (youth) as well as allow flexibility for our Bigs (volunteers) schedules, while creating positive and memorable experiences for both! Each Big Brothers Big Sisters Match (Big and Little) is carefully structured and orchestrated to ensure the compatibility, safety, and success of each relationship created.

Bigs and Littles can meet in our Community-Based program, a one-to-one match relationship rooted in community experiences, typically in the evenings and weekends. Visiting with a Little a few times a month (6-10 hours per month) allows the Match to explore the QC area, take advantage of free or low cost activities, and try new things together.

Bigs and Littles can meet in our School-Based Plus program, a one-to-one match relationship taking place within a local elementary school building, typically over the lunch/recess hour. Visiting with the Little about once a week, these Matches can have lunch together, play games, read books, do a project, or go outside for recess.

Additional group activities are offered by Big Brothers Big Sisters each month, and all Bigs and Littles are invited to attend. MAPS activities are developmentally focused at the elementary and early middle school level, while COMPASS activities support career exploration and post-high school planning for our middle and high school Littles.

To become a Big, volunteer's must meet the following requirements:

• be at least 18 years old and out of high school
• able to allocate at least 2-6 hours per month to the mentoring relationship
• complete an in-person interview
• pass criminal and reference checks
• be willing to participate in the mentoring relationship for at least 12 months.