The Connect pilot program comes to an end Thursday, Dec.12th.

By Veronica Beltran

BBBS Pilot Program Success

Harwin Elementary School students ‘Connect’ through BBBS pilot program

Dec 9, 2019 | 2:49 PM

PRINCE GEORGE–The Second Annual Miracle on Third is right around the corner and this year donations are going towards Big Brothers Big Sisters (BBBS) of Northern BC; the organization has various programs throughout the community aimed at supporting kids and teens, and this year they piloted a new one, Connect.

The pilot program took place at Harwin Elementary for 12 weeks from 6-8 p.m. It targeted children from grades seven through eight in preparing them for Highschool, in a fun environment.

” I feel like there’s like a disconnect between the grade sevens and the grade eights,” said Grade Six, Harwin Elementary School student, Cynthia, ” even though they’re not even that different apart when you think about it…and I feel like with Connect we all kind of have a middle ground…we’re just kids having fun, rather than kids having to go to high school.”

Connect allows students to bond with each other and with BBBS Mentors through interactive activities, “they did mission impossible, we did a lot of tag in the dark through the school, we went to Candy Cane Lane, they built a little house that we donated to the Festival of Trees, they volunteered down at Festival of Trees,” said Marnie Alexander, Community School Coordinator for Harwin Elementary.

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As for the bond with their BBBS Mentors, the students say they were more like family, “they didn’t really talk to us like we were little kids, they talked to us like…we were grown-ups too,” said Grade 7, Harwin Elementary Student, Brianna, “I feel like it inspired us a lot to be like them because they were really good examples.”

The program wraps up on Thursday, Dec.12 (Miracle on Third Day) and proved successful with students this year and will run again, according to BBBS Executive Director, Tim Bennett. There are no dates as for when, but there are hopes to bring it back to Harwin Elementary and other schools as well.