the big brother + big sister program

This is a professionally run mentor program that provides young people who lack adequate adult role models with support and friendship through a trusting relationship with an appropriate adult volunteer.

The aim of the Program is to develop the self-worth and confidence of the young person through the experience of having a positive adult friend in their lives who listens, understands, accepts and respects them.

We are committed to:

- taking a long-term approach working with the child and the family;

- empowering all participants in the Program;

- bringing about lasting change;

- being cost-effective by using adult volunteer resources; and

- changing the life of a young person in need.

Each young person is matched with an adult mentor and they agree to spend a few hours together each week. The match is made taking into account the young person's needs, interests, temperament and location, and the skills and qualities the volunteer offers.

We believe that bringing a positive, consistent, caring, mature adult into their lives makes a profound difference to the young people in the Program.

We cater for children from all sorts of backgrounds, and what all of them need are good adults in their lives. Whether male or female they need adults who are consistent, caring and trustworthy, and who are not there to constantly be telling the young person what they should and shouldn't be doing, but who provide support, guidance and most importantly friendship.

Boys in particular are in trouble.

The path from childhood to adulthood is increasingly difficult, and to make the journey, they need a good friend by their side.

program origins

The original "Big Brothers Big Sisters" program began in North America at the turn of the century. 1904 saw the foundation of the New York Big Brothers followed by the first Big Sisters five years later.

In 1977 the combined "Big Brothers Big Sisters of America" was born and has grown to include an astounding 500 agencies in all 50 states.

The impact of the program has far reaching effects in North America. Even Bart Simpson has had a Big Brother, and the "Bigs" and "Littles" relationship is a theme, which regularly features, in popular entertainment, such as Seinfeld and E.R.

Copyright 2003 Big Brother / Big Sister Program

star peer tutoring programme

The STAR (Science / Technology Awareness Raising) Programme was established in 1994 through a partnership between BP Australia, Murdoch University and schools in Western Australia. Volunteer tutor / mentors (predominately university undergraduates) offer academic support and advice to school students.

tutor / mentor leadership conference

This web site provides information about a November and May series of Tutor/Mentor Leadership Conferences held in Chicago each year. The conferences are intended to help any tutor/mentor organization build skills, obtain ideas and generate networking opportunities that can help a program build operating capacity. It is also intended to help community groups generate ideas to start new programs to fill voids. And it is intended for volunteers who are tutors/mentors and are looking for more ideas on helping the youth they mentor. Finally, the conference is targeted at businesses who support school-to-work, mentoring-to-careers, or other forms of workforce development. The conference seeks to bring together non profits and business groups to help them form long-term strategic alliances that mentor more youth to careers.

dusseldorf skills forum

DSF is an independent and non-profit association that advocates and puts projects in practice that focus on Australians, particularly young Australians, gaining the skills, capabilities and opportunities for productive and rewarding lives.

plan-it youth

This is a single page on the Dusseldorf Skills Forum website provided for the public to download a bunch of Plan-it Youth documents regarding their mentor programs on the Central East Coast of Australia.

the growth connection

The Growth Connection is a Sydney-based consultancy specialising in mentoring. The site contains newsletters, mentoring links, and discussion papers.

cairns youth mentoring scheme

CYMS is a community based mentoring programme targeting all young people in the Cairns community aged between 12 and 21 years, who feel they have a need in regard to work, school or personal issues.

Our mentoring relationship is based on encouraging and supporting the young person by way of a friendship. Pairs are matched according to gender, location and interest or personality.

Each cohort is encouraged to work on an activity together to promote time management, goal setting and to have a purpose for coming together for the minimum of 2 hours per fortnight.

uni mentor scheme, UWA

The Uni Mentor Scheme at The University of Western Australia offers mentors to first years to ease their transition to University. In 2000, the scheme attracted 700 first years and 500 mentors.

national mentoring partnership

The National Mentoring Partnership is an advocate for the expansion of mentoring and a resource for mentors and mentoring initiatives nationwide.

mentoring leadership + resource network

MLRN is a grass roots effort started by a few educators and supported, in part as a network of the ASCD. Over the past 6 years MLRN has grown to become a international initiative.

tutor-mentor connection

The Tutor / Mentor Connection (T/MC) is about kids. It's about mentor-rich programs where kids can connect with adults, learn skills, be safe, and find the support to help them climb the ladder to a career.

tutor-mentor exchange

This web site hosts an on-line documentation system where leaders can document actions taken to build a network of tutor / mentor programs in Chicago and other cities. The site also has links to tutor/mentor resources, discussion forums and unique computer generated maps that show where mentor programs are most needed in Chicago along with contact information for programs that operate in those areas.

youth portal

The Youth Portal provides access to online information on Commonwealth government services, programmes, research, policies, events and publications for and about young people aged 12 to 25 years.

The Youth Portal links to hundreds of resources across a range of Commonwealth agencies and departments, and encourages youth sector networking and information sharing via the Youth.Comm online discussion forum.