Become a Mentor with My Voice, My Power!

Introducing My Voice, My Power!

We are very excited to announce that Big Sisters of BC Lower Mainland has been awarded funding by Women and Gender Equality Canada (WAGE) for Power in Prevention, a gender-based violence prevention project. As part of the Project, Big Sisters is launching a new school-based group mentoring program for self-identified girls, non-binary and transgender youth called “My Voice, My Power!.”  

The development of this program has included sector specific research, applied learnings from existing group mentoring programs at Big Sisters, and community consultation through focus groups, surveys, and the support and insight from a Community Advisory Council and Youth Advisory Council. The program will enable age appropriate, hands on learning activities that engage youth in critical dialogue and skill building to support the development of protective factors against gender-based violence.

‘My Voice, My Power!’ will be offered to students in grades 4-5 in Fall 2024 and expand to include grades 6-7 in 2025. The Program will pilot in three schools in Fall 2024 and again in five schools in Winter, Spring and Fall 2025. Power in Prevention is also comprised of knowledge sharing, an awareness campaign and a youth-led forum. 

Why Volunteer with My Voice, My Power?

My Voice, My Power! aims to create a lasting difference in the lives of self-identifying girls and gender-diverse youth. As a mentor you will have the opportunity to not only ignite the power and potential of young people but to help create safe, inclusive communities for them to thrive within. Help youth discover their voice and confidence today by volunteering as a My Voice, My Power! mentor.

Join Us in 4 Simple Steps

We are actively recruiting volunteer mentors for Big Sisters’ ‘My Voice, My Power!’ program for schools in Port Moody, Burnaby and Surrey. Follow the steps below if you are interested in becoming a My Voice, My Power! mentor.

Step 1: Review our general guidelines: My Voice, My Power! consists of 8 group mentoring sessions with a time commitment of 3 hours a week. Each session will include 2 to 3 volunteer mentors helping 10-12 program participants learn impactful skills in a school setting – including the importance of healthy relationships and internet safety. 

Step 2: Check our requirements: We have a short list of requirements for mentors. Mentors need to be a woman, non-binary, transgender or gender-diverse individual aged 19 or older, who has been a Canadian resident for at least one year prior to signing up and demonstrates values alignment with the project. We require mentors to be available one weekday at a minimum during the 8-week term (Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday) between 2:30 to 5:30PM. 

Step 3: Apply:  Once you have reviewed our guidelines and requirements, we welcome you to fill out an application here!  Please note applicants will be contacted on a first-come, first-served basis.

Step 4: Application Reviewal: Once your application is processed and your references are contacted, a member of the Big Sisters team will contact you to schedule an interview and following that a training session. 

What is Gender-based Violence?
Gender-based Violence (GBV) is rooted in gender inequality and is further intensified by systemic inequalities, such as sexism; discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation, gender identity and expression; colonialism; racism; ableism; classism; poverty; and a collective history of trauma. GBV can have long-lasting negative health, social, and economic consequences, often leading to intergenerational cycles of violence and abuse.
 
Research shows that protective factors include: an ability to deconstruct gender stereotypes and bias; identifying what healthy relationships look like; a strong awareness and practice of setting and holding boundaries and understanding consent around those boundaries; understanding internet safety; and a strong sense of belonging to the community; Our community consultations further revealed the need for our curriculum to include: understanding protected human rights; empowering a strong sense of self-worth and feeling proud of one’s identities; witnessing and practicing advocacy for self and others; and financial literacy.
 
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