Become a Defender of Potential! Mentor a child!

About Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Mississippi Valley

Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Mississippi Valley is a proud, independent affiliate of Big Brothers Big Sisters of America—the nation’s largest and oldest youth mentoring organization, founded in 1907. Through nationally recognized standards and strong local partnerships, Big Brothers Big Sisters creates meaningful, one-to-one mentoring relationships that produce measurable, lifelong impact for young people.

• Our Mission: Big Brothers Big Sisters exists to provide children facing adversity with strong and enduring, professionally supported one-to-one relationships that change their lives for the better—forever.
• Our Vision: All children achieve success in life.

Our One-to-One Mentoring Programs

Big Brothers Big Sisters offers three one-to-one mentoring programs that connect adult volunteers (“Bigs”) with local youth (“Littles”). While each program offers a different setting and schedule, all Bigs commit to meeting with their Little for 2–4 hours per month for at least 12 months.

Every match is carefully screened, supported, and thoughtfully paired to ensure safety, compatibility, and long-term success.

Community-Based Mentoring

Bigs and Littles typically meet during evenings or weekends and spend time together exploring the Quad Cities area.

• • Visiting parks, libraries, or local events
  • Trying new hobbies or experiences
  • Talking, laughing, and building connection through everyday moments

This option is ideal for volunteers seeking flexibility and the opportunity to explore the community alongside their Little.

School-Based Mentoring

School-Based mentoring takes place one-on-one within a local elementary school during the school day, often over the lunch and recess period. Bigs typically meet with their Little once a week or once every other week.

• • Eating lunch together
  • Playing games or reading
  • Working on a small project or enjoying recess

This program offers consistent, in-school support and is well-suited for volunteers with daytime availability.

School-Based Plus Mentoring

School-Based Plus combines the structure of school-day mentoring with opportunities to connect beyond the school building. Matches meet regularly at school and may also participate in activities outside of school, depending on schedule and interest.

• • In-school connection during lunch or recess
  • Community-based outings or experiences
  • Shared activities that deepen the mentoring relationship

School-Based Plus is a great fit for volunteers who want both the consistency of school-based mentoring and the added flexibility of occasional community experiences.

Becoming a Big

To become a Big, volunteers must:

• • Be at least 18 years old
  • Commit 2–4 hours per month for 12 months
  • Complete an in-person interview
  • Pass criminal background and reference checks