Big Sibs reincarnated into campus-wide effort

After the Big Sibs community service project initiated by the Class of 2016 was cancelled last year, Big Sibs is back and now accepting applications from the current freshman, sophomore and junior classes.

Now called Community House Big Sibs, the program is a revamped version of the Big Sibs project of the Class of 2016 and pairs University students with elementary school students one-on-one to engage in long-term mentorship relationships.

Class of 2016 president Justin Ziegler ’16 said that the original project, which involved around 300 students, lasted a year and a half and was terminated last spring when the partner school was shut down by New Jersey’s Department of Education.

The partner school, City Invincible Charter School, was an elementary school located in Camden, N.J.

Ziegler said that as soon as he found out that City Invincible Charter School was closing, he and Big Sibs Board co-chair Sofia Gomez ’16 started looking for options to continue the project.

“I saw first hand how well it worked last year and how people were really excited about it, and we had a positive impact,” Gomez said. “So it is something that I wanted to continue being a part of.”

Ziegler said that the partnership with Community House started when he approached Charlotte Collins, the director of Community House, at the end of last year.

“It worked perfectly because at the same time Community House is looking for a mentorship project,” Ziegler explained. “It sort of fell in together.”

Community House is an education program within the Pace Center that works with families to close the achievement gap in Princeton.

Community House Big Sibs is looking for 10 to 15 students from each class. Mentors from the Class of 2018 will be paired with second graders, those from the Class of 2017 will be paired with third graders, and students from the Class of 2016 will be paired with fourth graders.

Ziegler said that Big Sibs is looking for students who are committed to have long-lasting mentorship relationships with their mentees. For example, student mentors from the current freshman class are expected to continue a relationship with their mentees until graduation.

“We purposefully want to make the barrier of the application high, so that we only get students who are very dedicated because that’s what’s going to make this mentorship project really meaningful,” Ziegler said.

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Ziegler said volunteers who participate in the original Big Sibs program have expressed interest in the new service project. However, he noted that they will go through the same application process to participate in the new program.

“They are different programs, and they are also different time commitments.” Ziegler said, referring to Community Big Sibs and its predecessor.

Collins said that Community Big Sibs is a well thought-out project because she has been planning with Ziegler and Gomez since this summer.

“We have been very strategic about this process. Something that’s important for me being intentional and purposeful, especially when working with children.” Collins said.

Collins said that she is looking to identify one partner elementary school within the town of Princeton and begin a registration process to select mentees.

The registration materials are written forms filled by families and teachers based on the need of the child.

Collins said that she believes the program will live on regardless of whether the Class of 2019 Council continues the project.

“When you have a program like this that is structured in the right way and that’s done with an open mind and an open heart, and really thoughtful and strategic leaders, you form something that’s really powerful and long-lasting,” Collins said.

Applications are due on Friday, and selected applicants will be contacted for an interview before winter break.

Ziegler said he hopes the application decisions will be made before winter break and the matching of mentors and mentees will be done by February of next year.