I bombed a big test at school—will I be held back a grade? Is it normal to feel prickly sensations in my tummy whenever my crush walks by?
For young people, some questions are too big—too embarrassing—to share with parents, siblings, or chums. That is where an actual Big Brother or Big Sister steps in. These ordinary humans volunteer to be one-on-one mentors for children ages 6-17 in La Plata County.
“Everybody could use a mentor, no matter what socioeconomic background you come from, no matter what age you are, whatever privilege you come from—everybody can benefit from a mentor,” notes Jenn Bartlett, Executive Director of La Plata’s Big Brothers Big Sisters (BBBS) chapter, which celebrated its 40th anniversary in 2024.
BBBS’s mission is to ignite the power and potential of young people. Its mentorship model has proven effective at boosting children’s confidence, academic performance, and sense of belonging, to name only a few metrics.
Once paired, a Big and a Little embark on building a profound bond using a time-tested tactic: hanging out. BBBS sponsors free activities like rafting to paintball derbies. Bigs and Littles can also venture off on their own to see a movie, go bowling, get pizza and ice cream.
“We find that some of the best memories they have together is not really even doing anything,” Bartlett explains. “Sometimes it’s sitting in the driveway, having a three-hour conversation!”
By simply “being there” for the Little, a Big becomes a powerful role model. For a child whose parents are divorcing, or is bullied at school, or had a pet die, the steady presence of a Big turns out to be a really big deal.
Becoming a Big FAQ
What if I don’t have time to mentor? Mentoring needs only 4 hours a month (or one hour a week). Bartlett notes most people spend more time than that scrolling through social media. Mentoring would be much more satisfying.
What qualifications are needed? Being an adult human (or a teen in high school) is the primary qualification. Bartlett states, “Everybody could be a good mentor for a kid. Everybody has something to offer.” Bigs also receive specialized training and regular support check-ins with BBBS staff.
Is mentoring expensive? Nope. BBBS minimizes or eliminates the burden of expenses from Bigs by sponsoring free events or providing gift cards or tokens donated by generous local businesses who support of the BBBS mission.