In-School Mentoring

Who can volunteer?

You can! A “typical” Volunteer (Big Buddy) is a caring responsible man or woman who is over the age of 18. Our Volunteers come from diverse backgrounds and from all walks of life.

What is the basic time commitment of an In-School Mentor?

One hour per week, during school hours, for a minimum of one year. Big and Little Buddies do not meet over summer vacation or other school holidays.

Am I the right age to volunteer?

The minimum age to be an In-School Mentor is 18. There is no maximum age limit, as long as you are in good health and maintain an active lifestyle.

How old are the Little Buddies?

The children are in grades 1-6, and are approximately 6-12 years old.

What are the children’s backgrounds?

They have been identified by their teacher as children who could benefit from the friendship and extra attention from a caring, stable adult. They may be shy, have low self-esteem and may be having trouble making friends. They may come from a single-parent family, or they may live with both parents.

Our programs are friendship-based and are not designed as a form of intervention for serious individual or family problems. Teachers identify Little Buddies as children who may have trouble connecting with peers, need a little confidence or could us a bit of extra attention.

What do the children like to do?

Weekly visits take place at the child’s school, so you may have access to the school’s facilities. Big and Little Buddy friendships are non-academic, so you won’t be tutoring them. It’s all about FUN! You and your Little Buddy may choose to play outside, shoot hoops, or kick a soccer ball around. Or you can stay inside and read, do arts and crafts, play computer games, or just hang out and talk.

We make every effort to match Big and Little Buddies based on similar interests and personalities.

Does the agency stay involved in the friendship?

Yes. We provide on-going support and monitoring. Each Big Buddy has a dedicated mentoring coordinator who is available to deal with any questions or concerns that come up. Regular phone contact is expected as are regularly scheduled meetings to discuss the progress of the friendship.

At the child’s school, there is also a Big Brothers liaison (school staff member) so if anything comes up during your meetings with your Little Buddy, there is someone who can immediately help you.

Check for Eligibility

1. I am 18 years or older
2. I have lived in the Greater Vancouver Area for a minimum of 6 months.
3. I understand the application process can take up to approximately 2 months to complete. Once accepted as a Volunteer, being matched with a Little Buddy can take several weeks, depending on my location and other preferences.
4. I can easily manage the time commitment in my schedule
5. I will submit my Police Information Check – Vulnerable Sector form to my local Police/RCMP station as soon as possible, and if necessary will follow up with any concerns.

Submit an Application

1. You may choose to apply online or you may contact our agency and we can send you an application in the mail or through email.
2. After we receive your application form and all the requirements are met, we will provide you with a Police Information Check – Vulnerable Sector form.

Submit a Police Information Check – Vulnerable Sector

1. You must submit your Police Information Check – Vulnerable Sector forms immediately as we require that you complete a new record check before we will consider you for an interview.
2. As per our National Standards, we must receive a new Police Information Check – Vulnerable Sector form solely for our organization.

Interview

1. Once we receive your Police Information Check – Vulnerable Sector form results and you meet our requirements, we will contact you to schedule a one-on-one interview. The interview lasts approximately one to two hours and consists of a series of questions related to your motivation, beliefs and values, interests and lifestyle, and family history.
2. Please note that only those applicants that meet our requirements will be contacted for an interview. Contact will be made only after we receive your Police Information Check – Vulnerable Sector results.

References

1. Your references are adults who have known you well for more than two years and who represent different facets of your life:  your employer, a family member/significant other, personal references and someone who has witnessed you working (paid or voluntarily) with children.

Training

1. Training is a three-hour group session. It is designed to get you ready to meet your ‘Little’ and will give you the tools you need to build a successful friendship.

Meet your ‘Little’!

1. Upon your acceptance, our staff will begin to search for a suitable Little Buddy for you, considering factors such as where you would like to be matched, your interests, and the needs of the children on our wait-pool.  We work hard to find a compatible match for each Mentor – and sometimes that can take some time- but it’ll be worth the wait!
2. Once a potential Little Buddy has been selected for you, one of our staff will tell you about your Little and will schedule the introductory meeting. Your first meeting will take place at the child’s school with your dedicated Mentoring Coordinator, the school liaison, and your Little Buddy.
3. Once everyone is acquainted, you and your Little Buddy will plan your first activity. Thank you for volunteering as an In-School Mentor and welcome to the program!

SCHOOL	ADDRESS	CITY
Admiral Seymour Elementary	1130 Keefer Street	Vancouver
Hastings Elementary	2625 Franklin Street	Vancouver
Captain James Cook Elementary	3340 E 54th Ave	Vancouver
Queen Elizabeth Elementary	4102 West 16th Avenue	Vancouver
General Gordon Elementary	2268 Bayswater St	Vancouver
Walter Moberley Elementary	1000 East 59th Avenue	Vancouver
Clayton Elementary	7541 - 184 Street	Surrey
Hjorth Elementary	14781 104 Avenue	Surrey
KB Woodward Elementary	13130 106 Avenue	Surrey
Martha Currie Elementary	5811 184 Street	Surrey
Newton Elementary	13359 81 Avenue	Surrey
W.E. Kinvig Elementary	13266-70B Avenue	Surrey
Maywood Community School	4567 Imperial Street	Burnaby
Edmonds Community School	7651 18 Avenue	Burnaby
Stoney Creek Community School	2740 Beaverbrook Crescent	Burnaby
Central Community School	2261 Central Avenue	Port Coquitlam
Miller Park Elementary	800 Egmont Avenue	Coquitlam