Big Sibs at WES

Big Sibs – volunteer position

  • Time Commitment: 1 hour per week
  • Work Hours: Monday-Friday 9 am – 3 pm
  • Where: Williamstown Elementary School
  • Contact: Sarah Brill

Big Sibs is a volunteer mentoring program based at Williamstown Elementary School. This program is for Williams students interested in forming and sustaining a one-on-one relationship with an elementary student. Given the meaningful and positive impact the Williams students have on the elementary school students they work with, we ask that the Williams students think seriously about this commitment before applying. Interested students must commit to a minimum of two semesters; many students go on to work with their Little Sib for many years. Big Sibs generally meet with their mentee once a week for up to 45 minutes; scheduling is flexible and will be determined in consultation with the Little Sib’s teacher.

Applying to be a Big Sib

If you are interested in applying to be a Big Sib, please complete and submit the Volunteer Interest Form and reference forms. Once these forms are submitted, you will be contacted to schedule an interview. Please direct all forms and questions to Sarah Brill.

 

Testimonials 

“In my experience, having a Big Sib work in my classroom has been a blessing. The Big Sibs just seem to ‘get it’, they know their role and come eagerly and enthusiastically each and every time.” Erin Pengel – Kindergarten Teacher at WES

[My Little Sib] and I met weekly via Zoom to catch up on how her week has been going, and play some fun computer games (some academic, some just for fun). It was a great time for her to get her mind off of school and family and just enjoy the present moment. I felt that [she] and I definitely got closer this year, despite only meeting in person once before Covid hit last March. I enjoyed watching her grow and become more comfortable with me, and I look forward to continuing the program with her in the fall!” – Morgan Persky ‘23

“The program is AMAZING and really really beneficial to our students!  My hope is the program can come back in full swing next school year with MANY available and eager Big Sibs!  From my experience last year, the paired students really looked forward to their special time with their Big Sibs. I believe this program is crucial to enhancing social skill development and relationship building skills and also a blessing that our school has access to a program like this!” – Bethany Persing, WES Social Worker

“My experience with Big Sibs has been great. [My little Sib] is an energetic and truly big-hearted person, and spending time with him is one of the best parts of my week. While hanging out with [him] is enjoyable, it has been particularly rewarding to build a relationship with him and to see his progress from last year to this year. The most challenging part of being a Big Sib has been achieving a balance between being a mentor and being a friend, as sometimes the two do not directly align. This balance, however, has been progressively easier to achieve as I have come to know [him] better.” Austin Wruble ’17