Big Brothers Big Sisters of Northeast Wisconsin

Big Brothers Big Sisters of Northeast Wisconsin is a collection of passionate volunteers who want to build up the next generation of young people in our community. We are committed to providing caring, positive mentor relationships to area youth, and we want you to join us!

Volunteers (Bigs) are adults 18+ who want to have a lifelong impact on kids (Littles) through mentoring. Why do we do it? Because mentoring works! We know that kids with mentors...

• are more likely to avoid risky behaviors
• are more engaged in their academics and positive social clubs at school
• are more likely to graduate high school and attend college or trade school
• have more confidence and more resilience
• are exposed to new activities that expand their horizons
• develop their social skills, friendship skills, and even family relationships

Littles are voluntarily enrolled and range from ages 6 through 18. This means that we have young ones, tweens, and teens who want to have a mentor! What better time to impact a kid than when they are asking for it?

What about our Bigs? Bigs are everyday people... just like you! They are engaging, caring, good listeners, and willing to give a little bit of time and energy to impact a child. They are empty nesters, recent graduates, singles or couples, retirees, and from all backgrounds and experiences. Plus, did we mentioned how much fun Bigs and Littles have? If you don't know how fun mentoring can be, just check out the photos below!

We are committed to providing mentoring opportunities to kids in a way that works best for Bigs and for Littles. This opportunity is meant to bring our mentors joy and fulfillment, not stress about time commitments! As such, we have developed multiple program options to fit with your lifestyle:

Community-based mentoring: Bigs meet with their Littles 2-4 times a month with lots of flexibility. Matches enjoy an array of activities such as going to a park, enjoying an ice cream cone and walk, catching a movie, playing games at a coffee shop, cooking or baking together, exploring free community events, attending farmer's markets, or any other activity that is of interest to them. Activities are typical low to no-cost to avoid creating any financial burdens or stresses on Bigs. Many Bigs find that the flexibility of the community-based program works best for their lifestyle, and they want to have fun with the activities they used to enjoy when they were a kid. We ask mentors for a year commitment in order to make sure that we are having a positive, lasting impact on kids. 

Site-based mentoring:  Bigs meet with their Little once a week during their Little's lunch and recess (or after school) at a local school. They enjoy activities like board games, card games, crafts, word games, playing outside, and anything else that sounds fun to them. Many Bigs find that seeing their Little during the school day fits better into their schedule and allows them to focus on their own family after work while supporting their Little during the day. While matches have a blast during the school year, there are no commitments over the summertime. We ask mentors for a year commitment in order to make sure that we are having a positive, lasting impact on kids. 

Big Club mentoring: Bigs meet with their Little twice a month for an hour each visit of facilitated games and activities. Big Brothers Big Sisters staff facilitate engaging activities that allow for fun and recreation as well as social skill and life skill building. Bigs and Littles meet either at the east or west side Boys & Girls' Club- matches meeting at the west side Clubhouse meet on the first and third Thursday of each month from 4:00-5:00pm, and matches meeting at the east side Clubhouse meet on the second and fourth Thursday of each month from 4:00-5:00pm. Many Bigs find that the shorter time commitment works best for their schedules but still allows them to have a huge impact. We ask mentors for a year commitment in order to make sure that we are having a positive, lasting impact on kids. 

Interested in learning more? Check out bbbsnew.org/be-a-big or call us at (920) 498-2227.