Our Programs
Volunteers have the option to conduct their mentorship in two ways:
Educational
Tutoring
Mentors provide one-on-one educational assistance through guided instruction, educational games, and more!
Friendship
Mentors and mentees engage in recreational activities remotely based on common interests, all materials provided free of cost
Educational Tutoring
BuddyKnit values consistent educational support, providing free tutoring sessions for youth in out of home care.
BuddyKnit’s Educational Tutoring Programs offer academic support based on local curriculum. Mentees can learn difficult concepts with the guidance of one of their own, thus enhancing comprehensibility.
By utilizing a diverse and plentiful base of middle and high school volunteers, BuddyKnit works to democratize access to academic support for foster youth, providing equal opportunities to all our students to achieve vertical mobility.
School/Homework Help
Mentors work on active areas of conflict faced in the classroom, providing one-on-one instructional support.
Academic Preparation
Partnerships with local and nationwide educational institutions have granted BuddyKnit tutors with a vast array engaging educational content, used to expose our youth to concepts beyond the classroom.
Companionship-Focused Relationships
At times, positive peer relationships are the missing link for at-risk youth to succeed.
BuddyKnit’s Companionship Programs provide opportunities for mentors and mentees to complete recreational activities in a lighthearted atmosphere. Despite numerous efforts at establishing a common ground it is not common for youth to feel intimidated by adult mentors, seeing them as an authoritative figure than a friend. Our model focuses on social and personal issues facing foster youth, overcoming hierarchical power differences in traditional mentoring relationships. Our mentors are required to undergo thorough trainings to ensure understanding, allowing them to fulfill their roles confidently, successfully, and independently.
Structured Activities
Our talented team of young volunteers compose a "curriculum" of potential activities that spark a wide array of interests. After mutual agreement matches will take on fun projects to be completed over a varying range of time.
Fun Time
In the event mentees do not want to complete one of the planned activities, matches spend their sessions simply doing whatever appropriate project the mentee pleases.
Training
Prior to mentorship, all our volunteers are required to attend remote training sessions. Facilitated by local community leaders, these trainings are designed to shed light on unfamiliar circumstances our volunteers might encounter, as well as provide them tips for success. Check out our clips from past trainings below!
Summer Boggs, Vice President of Programs at Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Big Bend talks about establishing trust with a mentee, sharing personal anecdotes on what has worked for her in the past.
Tallahassee-based case managers and BuddyKnit board members Niya Hubbard and Atarri Hall discuss with volunteers what they should do in the event their mentee is in crisis.