Description
In as little as one hour a week, you could change the life of a child forever. Bigs In School is an easy and rewarding way to get involved with a child. It allows volunteer mentors go into schools to spend an hour with a child once a week. One of the unique aspects of Bigs In Schools is that the time is guided by the 20-20-20 rule. Mentors and students spend 20 minutes getting to know each other or catching up, 20 minutes going over homework or reading, and the last 20 minutes participating in recreational activities. Bigs in Schools is a great program for volunteers to share time with a child during their lunch break or when working outside of a regular 9-3 school day. Matches do not meet over the summer break or during school holidays.

Children with mentors experience incredible life benefits such as:
•Becoming 80% more likely to finish high school
•Becoming 2-4x less likely to bully, lie, cheat, steal or become involved in drugs and/or alcohol
•78% of our kids coming from a family history of social assistance (parents depending on welfare, food banks, etc., to make ends meet) do not experience the same challenges in their adulthood
•Their life time income is $300,000 dollars more, on average, than youth who did not have mentors

Qualifications
There are no specific skills or experience required, however all volunteers are screened to gauge their appropriateness for our programs.

Benefits & Recognition

People who mentor:
• Gain personal growth and development
• Have a positive new perspective on life
• Make a positive difference in the life of a child and the community
• See meaningful improvements in their own mental and physical health
• Report increased levels of happiness and energy

Deliverables / Duties
Once each week a volunteer will visit one of our partner schools (closest to them) during a lunch hour and follow the 20-20-20 rule outlined above. Volunteers will agree to maintain their commitment throughout the period of the school year (Sept or starting date - June).

Other Requirements
• Police check • Child welfare check • 1.5 - 2 hour screening interview • 1.5 -2 hours volunteer training seminar • Alberta Mentoring Partnership Certificate

Think you'd be a good mentor? Check out http://bgcbigs.ca/ and apply to become a volunteer today!