Big Brothers Big Sisters of Portage County is looking for volunteers to expand its school-based mentoring program to three elementary schools this fall.
Big Brothers Big Sisters is dedicated to enhancing the quality of life for children in single-parent families through the support of agency staff and professionally screened adult mentors.
Volunteers are being sought to be a mentor to an elementary child and meet with the child once a week after school for approximately one hour to help with homework, play games, read books or talk about the day's events from 3:35 to about 4:45 p.m.
The program started at McKinley Elementary School in January to address the increasing number of children who need mentors.
At the school, 16 children were matched with a mentor, volunteers were recruited from the Portage County Retired Seniors Volunteer Program, the Stevens Point Area Senior High School Key Club, the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point Association for Community Tasks and the Pacelli SIGN Club.
This semester the program will expand to Jefferson School this month and then to Almond-Bancroft Elementary School from 3:20 to 4:30 p.m. in early October. The program expects to have approximately 45 children matched with mentors this semester.
Volunteers must be at least 17 years old, commit for one school semester after completing the screening process and have transportation to the school site.
Dawn Cherek, coordinator for the program, said Big Brothers Big Sisters hopes to expand the program to other schools in the near future.
While most of the schools are in Stevens Point, she said the expansion to Almond-Bancroft was suggested because a professional expressed interest in doing so.
Target, United Way, Family Preservation and Support and CESA 5 have provided funding for the program.
Persons interested should call Big Brothers Big Sisters at 341-0661 for more information.