How to Start a Big Sister Group

Sharing your experience as a Big Sister may help others.

Big Brothers Big Sisters strives to keep children on a positive path by introducing role models into their lives in the form of a Big Brother or a Big Sister. If you are a Big Sister, it may be helpful to open the lines of communication with other Big Sisters who can share their successes, their stories and their experiences as members of the Big Brothers Big Sisters program. There are several things you can do to start a Big Sisters group of your own.

Things You'll Need

• Internet
• Fliers

Instructions

1. Make a Facebook group for your Big Sisters Group. To do this, click "Groups" on the toolbar located on the left side of your Facebook home page. Then click the "Create a Group" button located at the top of the page. Give the group a name that reflects your purpose. For instance, if you are looking for local Big Sisters, include your region in the title, like "Big Sisters of Northern California." Invite members, specify whether you would like the group to be private or public, and click "Create."

2. Advertise your group at your local Big Brothers Big Sisters offices. Hand out and hang up fliers, and speak to some of the other Big Sisters there. Invite them to share your group with their friends.

3. Invite group members to meetings. You can plan to hold your meetings every week, every other week or once a month, depending on what you think is appropriate for your members.

4. Plan activities for your meetings. Start your meetings with ice breaker exercises so new members will feel more welcome. Try choosing a topic for each meeting. For instance, one meeting could focus on sharing frustrations or difficult situations and how other Big Sisters overcame them. Focus on topics that group members will learn and benefit from.

References

• Big Brothers Big Sisters: About Us: Our Impact
• Facebook: Help Center: Groups: How Do I Create a Group?