Vancouver has no shortage of people who want to give back, and Big Brothers of Greater Vancouver makes it straightforward to do that in a way that fits a busy schedule. Mentoring isn't about grand gestures. It's about being a consistent presence for a young person, meeting regularly, building trust over time, and letting that relationship grow at its own pace.
Our Mentoring Coordinators manage the matching process and stay involved throughout your time as a volunteer. Before you're paired with a young person, you'll complete training that covers mentorship skills, communication, safety protocols, and the specifics of whichever program you join. Vancouver's transit network makes getting to in-school and rec center programs straightforward from most neighborhoods, whether you're coming from East Van, the West Side, or downtown.
We welcome volunteers, families, and youth of all gender identities and expressions, including transgender and gender-diverse community members. Six programs are available across Vancouver, from one-on-one community mentoring to structured in-school and group formats. Availability rotates seasonally, and our Mentoring Coordinators can tell you exactly what's running when you reach out.
Big Brothers Community Mentoring Program:
The Big Brothers mentoring program provides supportive one-to-one mentoring relationships to children and youth in our local communities. A Mentor is a role model that a Mentee can talk to, learn from, and share experiences with. Through regular weekly outings, a relationship builds on trust, common interests and fun!
The Mentor/Mentee match is monitored and supported by our experienced caseworkers, and the Parent/Guardian, to ensure positive and meaningful relationships. This is a one-year commitment, meeting weekly for 2-4 hours in your local community. The result is an impactful experience for both the Mentor and the Mentee.
In-School Mentoring:
The In-School Mentoring Program provides supportive one-to-one mentoring relationships to children and youth during their school day. The Big Buddies in this program are adult role models that a Mentee can talk to, learn from and share experiences with.
This program runs for the duration of the school year, meeting weekly for one hour during the school day. Matches spend time together on school grounds doing non-academic activities such as playing sports, games, creating art or just hanging out at the playground. Our matches are paired for the duration of the academic school-year.
Game On!:
The Game On! program is a group mentoring program that provides mentees with information and support to make informed choices about a range of healthy lifestyle practices. Through fun physical activities and active play, complemented with balanced eating support and snacks, participants are engaged in life skills, communication, and social-emotional health discussions to encourage a life-long healthy lifestyle.
Game On! is offered throughout the year at schools and community centres throughout Greater Vancouver. Groups meet once weekly, during weekdays, for 90 minutes. This program is led in-person by a mentor for a group of mentees over 8-10 weeks.
Mentoring with Math:
This program is designed to strengthen the impact of tutoring by adding in the element of mentorship. Learning from a Mentor as a positive role model and friend encourages self-esteem and confidence-building for the Mentees as they work through math problems together.
Mentoring with Math aims to support families who are not otherwise able to financially pursue academic support opportunities outside of school. To ensure all families have access to support, please refrain from applying if your child is able to access paid academic support elsewhere. Snacks, math workbooks, and other supplies are provided.
Mentors meet with Littles once-a-week for 90 minutes in-person (throughout Greater Vancouver) or 60 minutes virtually, over 8-10 weeks, and work on numeracy, complete activities, and play games.
Teen Mentoring:
The Teen Mentoring program is an opportunity for secondary school students to build leadership skills and gain experience working with children, by becoming a Mentor to an elementary school student mentee.
The Youth Leadership component of this program empowers the Teen Mentors to be leaders and engages the youth in skill-building workshops, group facilitation, and public speaking opportunities, and community events.
The Teen Mentoring program requires a one-hour weekly commitment, after-school, as well as consistent participation in Youth Leadership, throughout the school year.
Roots Mentoring:
Roots Mentoring amplifies and celebrates Indigenous cultures while learning from the experiences and teachings of Indigenous Community Leaders and honoured guests. We welcome Indigenous and non-Indigenous youth to take part in fostering an environment of curiosity and dialogue to learn from one another and from our honoured guests.
The Roots Program is inspired and informed by the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s Calls to Action and the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. At BBGV we continue to build a foundation on which strong and collaborative relationships can grow between Indigenous and non-Indigenous youth, mentors, staff, and community partners.
Volunteer FAQs for Vancouver
Which neighborhoods in Vancouver do programs run in?
Programs are spread across the city. Structured programs like In-School Mentoring and Game On! run at schools and rec centers in various Vancouver neighborhoods. Locations shift seasonally, and our Mentoring Coordinators can give you current details when you apply.
How does the Big Brothers Community Mentoring program work compared to the others?
It's the most open-ended of the six. You're matched one-on-one with a young person and meet in the community for 2-4 hours per week over a one-year commitment. You and your mentee decide what to do together, with monthly activity suggestions from Big Brothers covering free and low-cost options across Metro Vancouver. The other programs are structured at a set location with organized activities.
What does training involve?
Training is led by Mentoring Coordinators and covers mentorship fundamentals, relationship-building, safety guidelines, and program-specific expectations. It happens before you're matched, so you go in feeling prepared rather than figuring things out as you go.
How long until I'm matched with a young person?
Matching typically takes 4-6 weeks after you complete your interview, training, and criminal record check. Some programs or locations may take longer depending on current availability.
Can I volunteer if I work full time?
Yes. Most programs are designed around working adults. In-school and group programs run during set weekly slots, and the Big Brothers Community Mentoring program gives you flexibility in when and where you meet your mentee. During your application, your Mentoring Coordinator will help identify which program suits your schedule best.
Is multilingual mentoring available?
Multilingual volunteers are welcomed across all programs. If you speak a language other than English, let the team know during your application — it's often a meaningful asset in Metro Vancouver's diverse communities.