Big Partner Little Partner
Big Partner Little Partner is a mentorship program that pairs Gustavus students and youth from St. Peter and the surrounding communities to foster friendship and personal growth. The program is in its 54th year at Gustavus and continues to be a success program for both the Gustavus and St. Peter communities.
Big Partner Little Partner pairs meet 3-4 times a month for about an hour. These meeting times are determined by the flexibility of the student and the Little Partner. Monthly events will be put on by the program coordinators that will fulfill that weeks meeting time for the pair. Please refer to emails, social media and the calendar below for updates on dates, times and locations of these events.
Mission Statement
To build stronger ties between the St. Peter Community and Gustavus Adolphus College by having the leaders of today mentor the leaders of tomorrow through a one-on-one relationship.
Program Goals
Big Partner Little Partner as a whole strives to attain three goals within each mentoring pair which include:
- Interpersonal Skills -- Relationships and communication between people
- Intrapersonal Skills -- Language or thought occurring within the individual self
How to Apply
Gustavus Students: Big Partner applications are due the last week of September, depending on the year. Applications are available for pick-up in the Center for Community-Based Service Learning.
Community Members: Little Partner applications are due the second to last week of September, depending on the year. Applications are available at the Center for Community-Based Service Learning on Gustavus Adolphus College's campus or at the following school's office:
- North Elementary
- South Elementary
- John Ireland Elementary
- St. Peter Evangelical Lutheran School
Application Links
- Returning Big Partners applications due Sept. 19th, 2016.
- New Big Partners applications due Sept. 19th, 2016
- Little Partners (Kindergarten through 4th Grade) applications due Sept. 26th, 2016
- Middle Partners (5th - 8th Grades) applications due Sept. 26th, 2016
Search for Opportunities and Track Service Hours
Click the image below to view Big Partner Little Partner's Gustavus Engage page, where you can search for upcoming volunteer opportunities and track your service hours.
| Role | Name |
|---|---|
| Lead Coordinator | Danielle Kirchner |
| Parent Communications Coordinator | Annika Walter |
| Parent Communications Coordinator | Allison Birnschein |
| Student Communications Coordinator | Kelsey Harms |
| Events Coordinator | Samantha Swanson |
| Events Coordinator | Konnor Tranoris |
| Events Coordinator | Sophia Lyseng |
| Latino Communications Coordinator | Megan Kallestad |
| Public Relations Coordinator | Haley Zweber |
| Logistics Coordinator | Risa Anderson |