WE HELP BUILD RESILIENCE
So that girls, non-binary, transgender and gender-diverse youth can realize their full potential
Who We Are
Big Sisters of BC Lower Mainland focuses on prevention through our mentorship programs. It’s the guidance and support of a trusted mentor that makes all the difference. Little Sisters in our programs are resilient and show amazing potential, they simply need a spark to make them shine.
Through our Big Sister, Study Buddy, and Go Girls programs, we harness the power of mentorships to ignite the potential in youth across the Lower Mainland of BC.
all youth face challenges
Youth in our communities face adversities such as bullying, isolation, poverty, abuse, social anxiety, low self-esteem, and more. In addition, 1 in 10 kids say that they don’t have a single adult who cares about them. Left unaddressed, these adversities can become challenges in adulthood that require costly social interventions.
Big Sisters serves an average of 650 youth each year. However, we know the need is so much greater, and in some areas, kids are on our waitlist for over a year. Every day in a child’s life is crucial. They shouldn’t have to wait to reach their full potential.
70%
of mental health problems have their onset during childhood or adolescence.
Why Mentoring
Mentoring can help prevent the negative effects of adversities experienced during childhood. By helping youth develop important protective factors that support their resilience, and providing guidance and support, our mentorship programs help young people realise their full potential.
Through our mentorship programs, we offer a safe space to create meaningful, life-changing relationships that ignite the power and potential in not only our mentees, but also our mentors’ lives, ensuring a brighter future for everyone.
The Impact of Mentoring
Research shows that mentoring has a powerful impact on the lives of youth. We know that 96 percent of adults who had a mentor as a child say they are happy and 92 percent feel confident.
In addition, youth with a mentor are two and a half times more likely to be confident in their ability to be successful at school which helps them get better grades, and take on important challenges, like successfully getting into post-secondary education.
Mentoring also helps create safer schools and communities. It’s proven that youth who have a positive mentor are less likely to engage in destructive behaviour such as bullying, fighting, binge drinking, drug use, dropping out of school, and crime.
93%
of little sisters feel better about themselves since having a Big Sister
88%
of our Study Buddies improved their grades after being in our program
For every $1
invested into a littles potential, $23 is returned to society
Thank You to Our Recent Donors
Our impact wouldn’t be possible without your generosity
