The Breakfast Program
In 2009 through our National partnership with Cobs Bread and our local partnership with SunRype, fresh bread, juice, and fruit bars are delivered weekly to 5 of our school partners. This provides children attending school access to a nutritional breakfast.
Go Girls! Healthy Body Healthy Minds
This school based program developed for girls, ages 10 to 12, is a group program that runs 1hr/week for 8 weeks. Volunteer mentors support girls on how to make informed choices about healthy, active living and increase their self esteem.
Tool Time!
With the support of Big Brothers Big Sisters of Canada we have developed a spin off of the Go Girls program for boys ages 10 to 12. This is a school based group program that runs 1 hr/wk for 8 weeks. Big Brothers in the Trade Industry (Electricians, Carpenters, Machinists, Automotive Mechanics etc) mentor, teach new skills and complete fun and interesting projects with their Little Brothers. This group learning environment creates a sense of pride and accomplishment building the child’s self esteem.
Senior Mentors
We’ve had great success in recruiting senior mentor volunteers 75 to 90 yrs old through relationships developed at senior retirement homes. As a group, seniors go to one elementary school where they mentor children 7 to 12 years of age for 1 hr/wk for the school year.
Teen Mentors
In 2009 we expanded our age demographics of volunteer mentors in the In School Mentoring program to include teens; 15 to 18 years old. As a group, teens from nearby high schools go to one elementary school where they mentor children 7 to 12 years of age for 1 hr/wk for the school year.
Hockey Teams
We’ve recently recruited mentor volunteers from the local hockey team in Penticton – The Penticton Lakers. This is a 1 to 1 school based group program that runs 1 hr/wk for 8 weeks for boys in Gr.3 (8 & 9 years old). Each week the Little Brothers have the opportunity to share with their Big Brothers what they’ve been learning in class which includes a reading component. Then as a group the Bigs teach the Littles hockey skills that they then use in a group game at the end of each visit.