Check out our new training materials for volunteers!
Click here to view and download a pdf of the webinar presentation designed to help volunteers better understand their Mentee's family dynamics.
Click here to view and download a pdf of our new caregiver's guide, called Strengthening Bonds and Creating Connections. It includes answers to difficult questions children ask about their incarcerated loved one. Recently published by Big Brothers Big Sisters Amachi Ohio and The Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction, this booklet is very useful for Caregivers and Mentors of children whose parents are incarcerated.
COMMUNITY-BASED AND SCHOOL-BASED MENTORING
COMMUNITY-BASED MENTORING PROGRAM
The Community-Based program of Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Ohio matches a child between the ages of 5 to 14 who could benefit from the friendship of a Big Brother or Big Sister volunteer. Married couples can also spend time together mentoring one child and find this option easy and fun! Bigs in this program must be 21 years of age or older and be able to make at least an 18-month commitment to a child. You can volunteer by yourself or with your spouse. Each participant will complete an individual interview and attend training prior to being matched with your Little.
A Big is someone who can build a friendship with a child. Many of our volunteers report getting more out of the relationship than they put in. Be part of the magic - Click here for more information on becoming a community-based mentor!
Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Ohio also partners with various community groups to extend its community based mentoring program into special populations. We also collaborate with Big Brothers Big Sisters agencies throughout Ohio to provide mentors for children of incarcerated parents. If you are interesting in becoming a Big to a child who has an incarcerated parent, or you would like to refer a child for the program, please visit www.amachiohio.org.
For more information about volunteering as a Big Brother or Big Sister in the Community-Based Mentoring program call toll-free 866-892-BIGS (2447) or
- In Franklin County call: 614-839-2447
- In Delaware County call: 740-369-2447
- In Union County call: 937-645-3065
- In Champaign, Madison and Clark Counties, call Big Brothers Big Sisters of Springfield: 937-390-9900
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- SCHOOL-BASED MENTORING PROGRAM
School-Based programs, including Project Mentor, offer unique experiences between volunteer mentors and student mentees. Matches meet once a week at the same time in a designated location, usually at a school. Together, mentors and mentees focus on social/emotional development, as well as academic needs. - SCHOOL-BASED MENTORING PROGRAM
Mentors include corporate volunteers, college students and high school students, as well as individuals from the community and faith-based organizations. Big Brothers Big Sisters provides on-site supervision, program coordination and serves as liaison between collaborating partners. In addition, Big Brothers Big Sisters maintains partnerships with other agencies that offer new or existing mentoring programs. Big Brothers Big Sisters consults with each school-based program to assist with defining program parameters and the extent to which Big Brothers Big Sisters support services will be included in the collaboration.
Click here for more information on volunteering to become a school-based mentor!
Big Brothers Big Sisters operates School-Based Mentoring programs in the following school systems: Big Walnut Schools, Buckeye Valley Schools, Columbus City Schools, Delaware City Schools, Grandview Heights Schools, Fairbanks Schools, Marysville Schools, North Union Schools, Olentangy Local Schools, South-Western City Schools, Upper Arlington Schools, Westerville City Schools and Whitehall City Schools.
Some specific School-Based Mentoring programs include:
- Chase Leadership Academy - Chase Leadership Academy matches employees at Chase as mentors to students from four high schools within the Columbus City School district. In Chase Leadership Academy, high school seniors develop skills that will make them valuable in the workplace. These include life and career skills as well as financial literacy. There is an annual formal graduation ceremony for seniors who complete the program. In addition, students who successfully graduate are can receive scholarships starting at $250.
- Project Mentor - The agency's largest School-Based Mentoring initiative, Project Mentor, is a collaborative effort of Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Ohio and Columbus City Schools, with Nationwide Foundation as the lead sponsor. Launched in 2007, Project Mentor surpassed its goal of matching 1,000 volunteer mentors with Columbus City School students its first year. Project Mentor's goal is to saturate Columbus City Schools with mentors from the community. For more information or to volunteer online, please visit www.projectmentorcolumbus.org.
BIG BROTHERS BIG SISTERS AMACHI OHIO
Today in the United States, there are approximately 2.4 million children who have one or more incarcerated parents. This statistic is even more staggering when we consider the effect having a parent incarcerated can have on a child's life.
Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Ohio is committed to identifying and helping children of incarcerated parents through our Amachi program. "Amachi" is a West African word that means "Who knows but what God has brought us through this child". This is a one-to-one mentoring program that matches children of incarcerated parents with volunteers from the community.
If you are interested in learning more, please visit www.amachiohio.org or contact:
Elizabeth Martinez
Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Ohio
1855 E. Dublin Granville Road
Columbus, Ohio 43229
614-839-2447, ext. 102
1855 E Dublin-Granville Road
Columbus, Ohio 43229
Phone: (614) 839-2447
Fax: (614) 839-4770