Commonly known as Big Brothers Big Sisters, this program is where the volunteer mentor (Big) and mentee (Little) spend time together by participating in a variety of activities, such as riding bikes, reading, cooking, going to the park, eating ice cream.

This is a new and exciting pilot project is designed specifically for male children, youth and volunteers*. We’ve taken the guesswork out of being a volunteer mentor with this simple site-based program format.

To learn more about the GAME CHANGERS program, click here.

Choose from one (1) of two (2) Site-based Programs:  

• Tuesdays at Caernarvon Elementary School (Location: 14820-118 Street) from 6:00 P.M. to 8:00 P.M.  

Programmed activities will take place in the school gym in groups of 2-3 and 4-6 mentees. Activities will be focused on sports and games. 

• Thursdays at West Club (Location: 16030-104 Avenue) from 6:00 P.M. to 8:00 P.M.  

Programmed activities will be one-to-one and will focus on sports, board games, hands-on projects and more. 

*BGCBigs is a safe, accepting, inclusive organization in which differences are valued in all aspects of service delivery and organizational practices. This program was designed specifically to close the gap in programs and services available to our families who are seeking programming for male-identifying children and youth. We encourage a diverse group of male-identifying volunteers and young people to participate in this unique program.

This after-school program is offered on weekday afternoons and evenings during the school year at clubs and select schools throughout Edmonton.

Here, volunteers support BGCBigs staff and spend time with the kids by playing games or sports, baking and helping with homework.

Click here to see club locations.

This in-school program is open to adult and teen (age 16+) volunteers and takes place at select schools throughout Edmonton. Volunteers visit with their mentee, in their school, during school hours, and spend time doing homework, reading, playing games and talking.

Do you speak French? We have mentees seeking support in Francophone schools too!

Click here to see a map of schools that offer in-school mentoring.

PRISM (Pride, Respect, Identity, Safety, Mentoring) is a program designed specifically for the 2SLGBTQ+ community. Adult volunteers who identify as 2SLGBTQ+ are paired with a mentee who also identifies as 2SLGBTQ+. The volunteer and mentee spend time together by participating in a variety of activities (riding bikes, reading, cooking, going to the park, eating ice cream).

Youth in Care is an extension of our Big Brothers Big Sisters program and is designed for young people who have current or previous involvement with Children Services and may be living in alternate arrangements, such as foster homes.

Volunteers can apply to work with mentees from one (1) of two (2) age groups, depending on preference:

• Age 6-15: Volunteers spend time with their mentee by participating in various activities, such as riding bikes, reading, cooking, going to the park, or going for ice cream.
• Age 16-24: Volunteers spend time with their mentee by supporting them through the different challenges and goals that come at these ages, from helping their mentee learn independent living skills (like resume building and money management) to simply hanging out, becoming friends and increasing their network of support.

Regardless of which age category you feel most suited to, your most important job as a mentor (to a mentee of any age) is to simply show up and be a caring adult in your mentee's life.

Volunteer Tutors are needed at the following:

Sakaw Club:

• Tuesdays from 3:45 P.M. to 6:00 P.M
• Wednesdays from 3:45 P.M. to 6:30 P.M.

West Club:

• Mondays from 3:30 P.M. to 6:00 P.M.

McCauley Club:

• Thursday from 2:30 P.M. to 6:00 P.M.

Click here to see tutoring locations.

Volunteers will provide quality tutoring to a child or youth (grades 1-12) in a 1-to-1 or small group setting. Tutoring sessions take place on a weekly or bi-weekly basis,  after school or in the evenings.

As a volunteer tutor, you'll help students accelerate their learning by helping with homework and/or classroom instructions. You'll be provided with quality instructional materials aligned with the classroom content to support each tutoring session. There is a focus on reading for younger students, but volunteers are welcome to help with other subjects such as math, science, social studies, English, etc.

Be a HERO, for a HERO

Volunteering with your local HEROS chapter is a fun, meaningful way to make an impact in your community! Make an immediate impact on the lives of young hockey players by simply tying a few pairs of skates, and enjoying an hour in the rink each week as a part of the team.

• Group mentoring
• Weekly commitment from October through March, Wednesday from 4:00 P.M. to 6:00 P.M.

Learn more about the Hockey Heroes volunteer program.

Apply Today! Choose "Hockey Heroes" as your area of interest when you fill out the BGCBigs application

For volunteers that prefer a behind-the-scenes role, we offer volunteer initiatives that support the BGCBigs agency. Currently, we’re looking for volunteers for our food bank depots on weekday afternoons at select club sites in Edmonton. Volunteers are responsible for welcoming and directing deliveries, as well as greeting clients and providing them with their allocated hampers.

Click here to see a map of our food hamper locations.