PRISM

PRISM is a volunteer-based mentoring program in partnership between Big Brothers Big Sisters of WB and WB Pride for the 2SLGBTQIA+ community, where young people who identify as 2SLGBTQIA+ are connected with an adult mentor who also identifies as 2SLGBTQIA+ for one-on-one and group mentoring relationships. Through regular outings, the match will foster a supportive and empowering friendship.

The purpose of a PRISM match is to:

• Provide role models for 2SLGBTQIA+ children and youth
• Foster pride and self-confidence
• Create connections within Wood Buffalo’s 2SLGBTQIA+ community
• Offer 2SLGBTQIA+ young people a safe adult mentor to have conversations with, provide support and celebrate who they are
• And above all, have fun!

To participate in PRISM:

• Mentees self-identify as 2SLGBTQIA+, are between 6-18 years old, and want a mentor who identifies as 2SLGBTQIA+
• Mentors self-identify as 2SLGBTQIA+, are a minimum of 18 years old, and want to be matched with a mentee who identifies as 2SLGBTQIA+
• Time commitment of 1 year

The Wood Buffalo 2SLGBTQIA+ community has a rich legacy of forming informal mentoring networks as a mode of survival. Today, the community has made great strides, yet 2SLGBTQIA+ youth continue to face barriers. Research shows that formal mentoring programs are a powerful, protective factor for this demographic as they develop their own unique sense of self.