Key Programs Offered:
ONE TO ONE MENTORING PROGRAMS
Community-Based Mentoring: Our traditional program pairs a girl between the ages of 7 - 15 with an adult female mentor. Big and Little Sisters enjoy a range of activities from arts and crafts and museum visits to sporting events and nature walks, or just taking the time to talk about what is going on in the Little Sister's life.
School-Based Mentoring: This program creates a one-to-one mentoring relationship between a Big and Little Sister. This program takes place in a school setting and is designed specifically for elementary school girls (grades 2 - 8). Matches meet during the Little Sister's lunch time or after-school program throughout the academic year, and are encouraged to keep in touch via letters or e-mails over the summer months.
New! Neighborhood-Based Mentoring: This one-to-one mentoring program matches a Big Sister with a middle-school aged Little Sister. Matches will meet for an hour and a half at the Lilla G. Frederick Pilot Middle School in Dorchester on Saturday afternoons. Big and Little Sisters spend time doing one-to-one activities together and group activities with the other matches in the program.
GROUP MENTORING PROGRAMS
Big Sister’s Group Mentoring programs are designed to meet the developmental needs of girls between the ages of 11-17; a time when peers begin to have a strong influence on a girl’s choices and decisions. Big Sister offers two Group Mentoring programs:
Life Choices: Life Choices creates a safe space where Little Sisters can openly explore the choices and challenges they face in their lives. Life Choices groups meet once a week for 90 minutes in schools or community centers, as well as in the Boston Court Clinic and are facilitated by experienced Big Sister social workers or Masters of Social Work (MSW) level interns. Groups run for approximately 15 weeks.
Team Enhanced Approach to Mentoring (TEAM): Like Life Choices, TEAM creates a safe space where Little Sisters can openly explore the choices and challenges they face in their lives. However, the distinguishing characteristic between Life Choices and TEAM is that TEAM adds mentors to the mix by bringing in groups of volunteers (Big Sisters) to mentor the girls. TEAM groups are led by experienced social workers and/or Masters of Social Work (MSW) interns in conjunction with the Big Sisters.