Organization Profile
DESCRIPTION The Big Sister Association was founded in 1951 by three Cambridge residents who believed that girls in their community could benefit from the guidance and support of an older female friend. Originally providing six girls with mentors, today the Big Sister Association serves more than 1,800 girls annually through various mentoring programs. Currently, they offer three types of programs for young girls, Community-Based Mentoring, School-Based Mentoring and Group Mentoring. More than half of the girls Big Sister serves annually participate in Community-Based Mentoring programs. These one-on-one mentoring opportunities match girls (Little Sisters) with caring and committed women volunteers (Big Sisters), who meet during days and times of their own choosing and at various locations throughout the greater community. Big Sisters’ newest program, School-Based Mentoring, is specifically designed for girls in elementary schools (approximately ages 7-11). Launched in 2001, School-Based Mentoring incorporates aspects of Big Sister’s Community-Based Mentoring program, by individually matching girls with women volunteers, as well as aspects of our site-based models, by bringing adult mentors into girls’ educational environments. Big Sister offers two group mentoring programs for middle school girls (ages 12 to 15): Life Choices and TEAM (Team Enhanced Approach to Mentoring). As site-based programs—Life Choices and TEAM groups are hosted by schools and neighborhood centers throughout Greater Boston—these mentoring models create a safe space where girls can explore the many different choices and challenges they face in life. More than merely a place free of physical violence, these safe spaces create an atmosphere of intimacy and mutual respect where girls feel comfortable expressing their ideas and opinions with adults and with each other. IMPACT In 2002, Big Sister served 1,860 girls, a 44 percent increase over the number of girls served in 2000.