ST. CLOUD, Minn. – After seeing the growth of the Bigs on Campus initiative at St. Cloud State, Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Minnesota has been looking to expand to other local colleges. Now, BBBS of Central Minnesota has secured a second location for its Dr. Potter Bigs on Campus Mentoring Initiative.
Starting in January, students from Kennedy Community School in St. Joseph have the opportunity to match with Bigs at the College of Saint Benedict and Saint John’s University in a brand-new partnership. Thanks to an agreement with Trobec’s Bus Service in St. Stephen, sixth- and seventh-grade students from Kennedy will be bussed to Saint Benedict twice a month to meet with their mentors for group activities, tours of both the CSB and SJU campuses and one-to-one mentoring to help the students with homework, getting ready for high school or navigating life situations.
As part of the partnership, both CSB and SJU are recruiting faculty and staff members along with alumni of both colleges and local business professionals to serve as Bigs (mentors) to the students. They will meet twice a month – mostly at Saint Benedict, but with the opportunity to go to Saint John’s several times a year.
The Bigs on Campus initiative was created to allow students – many of whom will become first-generation college students – the opportunity to spend time on a college campus and picture themselves going to college and furthering their education.
Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Minnesota currently has more than 100 children waiting for a mentor. To learn more about the various mentorship options or to find out how you can make a difference in the life of a child, please call (320) 253-1616 or visit BigDefenders.org.