On Wednesday afternoons in the Walnut Room of Talley Student Center, laughter can be heard as students who participate in the Campus Pals program take time out of their day to interact with local youth.
Campus Pals was created in the fall 2003 and serves to connect N.C. State students with elementary-age children in need of an adult mentor.
Students who participate in the Campus Pals program meet twice a month and spend two hours playing board games, eating snacks and providing guidance to enthusiastic youth.
“We ‘dunk’ the youth in the college pool and hope that we might influence at least one child to come back to N.C. State for a dive,” Brooke Beasley, a junior in communication and student program coordinator for Campus Pals, said. “It’s an exciting way to influence.”
Tierza Watts, associate director of CSLEPS, said every child needs a role model in his or her life
“Campus Pals’ mission is to recruit college students to partner and be a role model to an elementary-age child to expose them to the college environment,” Watts said.
Campus Pals is a partnership between the Center for Student Leadership Ethics and Public Service and Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Triangle.
BBBS of the Triangle is an organization that seeks to make a positive difference in the lives of children by promoting self-esteem and offering children the chance to interact with adult volunteers.
“Campus Pals is the college version of Big Brothers Big Sisters,” Watts said. “We have been working with Big Brothers Big Sisters since 2003.”
Campus Pals already has a partnership with Washington Elementary in Raleigh and is looking to find other elementary schools in the area with which to work.
“We plan to approach other elementary schools to see if they want to participate in the program,” Watts said.
In the past, the Campus Pals program could only manage about 40 NCSU students.
“Our goal for next year is to recruit at least 100 students to join the program,” Watts said.
Laura Watson, a sophomore in textile and apparel management, has participated in Campus Pals since last fall.
“I like knowing that I am making a difference in the life of a child,” Watson said. “I’ve been a nanny for the last three years, so I thought joining Campus Pals would suit me well.”
To become a Campus Pals volunteer, BBBS of the Triangle must first do an extensive background check to make sure the volunteer would be an acceptable role model.
Campus Pals will be accepting applications for next year’s volunteers until Friday, April 7.
“Volunteers have to be at least 18 years of age, a college freshman or participating in a specialized program,” Andie Young, vice president of programs for BBBS of the Triangle, said. “We are currently trying to target more volunteer populations.”
Last year, BBBS of the Triangle served more than 800 children in the area, and BBBS organizations nationwide served more than 220,000 total youth.
According to BBBS of the Triangle statistics, youth who participate in the program are 46 percent less likely to begin using illegal drugs, 52 percent less likely to skip school, more confident in their performance in school and more trusting of their families and peers.
“Having kids work with a volunteer in the afternoons is a good way to keep the kids doing something safe and staying out of trouble,” Stewart Besch, a junior in business who volunteers for Campus Pals, said.
Besch has been a volunteer since last fall.
“I enjoy being able to show a child how welcoming and fun higher education can be,” Besch said.
One of the goals of Campus Pals is to give students the urge to want to volunteer later in their lives.
“We want students who are interested in working with children to join the Big Brothers Big Sisters organization when they graduate from college,” Watts said.
Watts said she has an interesting fact about community service at NCSU.
“The university offers all faculty and staff community service hours,” Watts said. “They receive 20 community service hours a year, which means professors can take time off to give back to their community.”
These community hours allow professors to work with organizations like BBBS of the Triangle and to volunteer for fundraisers such as the Bowl for Kids Sake.
Bowl for Kids Sake is the national BBBS organization’s prime fundraiser that raised more than$50,000 in 2005.
“Nationally, it is the largest fundraiser Big Brother Big Sister does,” Jon Mills, partnership development coordinator of BBBS, said. “It is similar to a large fundraiser, such as a walk-a-thon or a run-a-thon.”
Campus Pals and BBBS of the Triangle are encouraging students to participate in this year’s Bowl for Kids Sake.
“We have a ton of students involved with the fundraiser, including fraternities and sororities at N.C. State,” Mills said. “But we are always actively seeking more participants.”
Beasley said there is only one challenge with the program.
“The biggest challenge of being a part of Campus Pals is leaving the bi-weekly meetings,” Beasley said. “The program is like a party — all their friends are there, laughing and playing, and we’re like a blended family.”