Big Buddies

Sponsored by: University of Vermont - Volunteers in Action
Advisor: Lluvia Mulvaney-Stanack
Contact: Liz Petow, Allison Selleck or Ellen Sears

The mission of UVM’s Big Buddies Program is to provide community children with a positive, enthusiastic student mentor who can be a consistent influence in their lives, through play and shared activities. Big Buddies matches UVM students with underprivileged children from the Burlington community. The coordinators of Big Buddies work closely with the guidance counselors in the elementary schools to match students with those children that most eligible. The commitment required from UVM students is a full academic year with their little buddy, consisting of one-on-one time and special semester activities with all the volunteers.

First Year of operation: 1979
Minimum age for mentor: Freshman in College
Minimum time commitment: 3 hours/week
Minimum length of commitment: remainder of time at college, unless substituting