Kaleidoscope
Queen's
What is Kaleidoscope?
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Queen's Kaleidoscope is a student-led mentoring program that provides the opportunity for at-risk youth in the Kingston community to build a connection with a Queen's student volunteer.
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What is our aim?
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Our aim is to provide youths in the Kingston community with excellent one-on-one mentorship experiences that will allow them to grow and flourish in both academic and social settings.
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Where in Kingston do we operate?
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Our program runs at six elementary schools within walking/bussing distance of Queen's Main Campus: Central Public School, Polson Park Public School, St. Francis Of Assisi Elementary School, Molly Brant Elementary School, Winston Churchill Public School, and Rideau Public School.
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ABOUT KALEIDOSCOPE
Big & Little Buddies
Buddy System: Our executive team matches student volunteers from Queen’s University (aka. Big Buddies) with a “Little Buddy” from one of the seven elementary schools in Kingston. Little Buddies are nominated by their teachers, who have recognized these children as “at-risk.” This designation can mean any number of things, including physical or intellectual disabilities, a difficult home life, problems with their peers, or being considered vulnerable for any other reason. These children are all in need of a positive role model and friend!
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Buddy Visits: Volunteers visit their Little Buddy for an hour each week during the school day, helping them with school work and doing fun activities like crafts, games, or playing in the gym! At the beginning of each semester, volunteers are responsible for arranging a weekly day/time with their Little Buddy's teacher for their visits to run. Volunteers are responsible for getting themselves to and from their Little Buddy's school to attend their visits.
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Events: Kaleidoscope also runs several on-campus events throughout the year, including a 'Sports and Crafts' event and 'Carnival', for all Big and Little Buddies to attend. This is a time for volunteers to develop a connection with their Little Buddy outside of an academic environment. It also provides the Little Buddies with the opportunity to meet and build relationships with other elementary school students both at their school and other schools!
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Our Structure
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Executive Team
Our executive team is responsible for the overall organization of the club. This subsection of the club works to organize volunteer hiring, create buddy pairs, provide support to Big Buddies and School Coordinators, organize and host our events, and develop outreach/fundraising initiatives!
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School Coordinators
The main role of our school coordinators is to oversee the Big Buddies in their designated school. They are the main point of contact for Big Buddies and school administration, they organize events, they ensure Buddy visits are happening weekly, and they have a Little Buddy of their own!
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Big Buddies
As mentioned, our Big Buddies are responsible for attending weekly meetings with their Little Buddy. They organize their weekly meeting time and, with guidance from the school coordinators, develop weekly visit plans to keep their buddy engaged! They also attend all events throughout the year.