What type of BGCBigs Volunteer are you?
Adult
Our adult volunteers are over the age of 18 and care about the children in their community. Click to learn more about the programs you can volunteer with.
Teen
Our Teen volunteers include High school students who would like extra credit, leadership experience, and friendship with a younger child. If you are interested click to learn more.
What To Expect
- Ensure the safety of our children and youth and our volunteers.
- Work with you to match you with a young person or program where your interests and availability are considered.
- Assign a direct contact person to provide support and establish expectations and follow up requirements.
- Provide orientation and training so you know what to expect.
- Help you be successful!
- Build a special friendship with a young person and have fun together.
- Talk, listen, support, guide, encourage – believe in them and help them believe in themselves.
- Keep others informed about what you’re doing.
- Keep in touch with your staff contact person and ask questions as they arise. We also really like hearing about your experiences!
- Provide a safe, responsible environment for the child in your care.
- Be a mentor, a role model to a child
Children & Youth With A Mentor Are…
%
More Likely to Graduate
%
Less Likely to Rely on Social Services
%
More Likely to Have Improved Relationships
Children & Youth have increased confidence, self-esteem & sense of hope • Children get better academic grades • Children have improved school attendance • Children experience more positive interactions with peers, parents, & teachers • Children have better social and communication skills • Children are more likely to finish high school • Children are less likely to get involved with criminal activities
Adult Mentoring Opportunities
Please note that some of our volunteer opportunities are not currently available at this time, but we are still recruiting for our Community Based programs!
Bigs In the Community
One mentor (Big) and one mentee (Little) spend time together building a friendship based on trust, support, common interests, and fun!
Graduation Bigs
Matches one mentor (Big) with one mentee (Little) and focuses on helping students reach high school graduation
Big Couples
Two mentors (Big) and one mentee (Little) spend time together building a friendship based on trust, support, common interests.
Youth In Care
An inclusive youth mentoring program designed to give young people the confidence to achieve more
The Circle
The Circle is an inclusive youth mentoring program designed to give young people the confidence to achieve more.
Teen Mentoring Opportunities
netWORK - Youth Employment
This program is designed for youth who are interested in getting their first job and into the workforce
BGCBIG Volunteers Change Lives.
The change is usually small at first. Summoning the courage to order their own meal at a restaurant or learning how to take deep breaths when they’re upset. But that change grows with the child. It becomes confidence and hope. It becomes improved grades in school and a high school diploma. It becomes an unwillingness to dabble in negative behaviours like drugs, alcohol, and bullying. And one day, that child becomes a successful, thriving adult.
Boys & Girls Clubs Big Brothers Big Sisters (BGCBigs) is so fortunate to have the help of over 3,000 caring volunteer. Without volunteers, children and youth simply wouldn’t have the tools and supports they need to become successful. For us, those tools and supports come from our mentoring and after school programs. Using those, we’re able to provide children & youth with the healthy relationships and enriching experiences they need to understand their full potential and go out there and grab it. Our volunteers dedicate their time and efforts to spending time with a single child or with a group of children or volunteering with us behind the scenes.
Application Process
Step 1 – Application Form: Click here to submit your online application form. Please note we require three references so have those hand before you start.
Step 2 – Online Training: Click here. to complete your online training through the Alberta Mentoring Partnership.
Step 3 – In-Person Interview: We’ll contact you to set up an in-person interview where we’ll get to know you, learn why you want to mentor, and make sure you’re in the program that’s the best fit for your goals, skills, and lifestyle. The interview typically takes 2 hours. (Interviews are 1 hour for Behind the Scenes Volunteers)
Step 4 – In-Person Training: We’ll will contact you to set up your in-person training. Training typically takes 2 hours and we have multiple sessions available each week to fit your schedule. (This is not necessary for Behind The Scenes Volunteers)
Step 5 -Background Checks: After you come in for your interview/training, we’ll provide you with the paperwork to complete a Police Information Check and a Child & Family Services Check.
Step 5 – References: We’ll contact your references by phone or email.
Step 6 – Matching: We’ll contact you and let you know that you’re accepted! With our Bigs in the Community program it can take some time to match you to a child as we take care to make sure you’ll get along and have lots in common.
***It’s important to note that it can take up to 8 weeks to go through our application process and be matched with a child.**
Thank you HSBC, for supporting our mentoring programs
