The University of Massachusetts Dartmouth is launching a partnership with Big Brothers Big Sisters of Massachusetts Bay to expand the organizations programs on campus and provide more mentors for the New Bedford area.

Twice a month, children will be bussed from New Bedford to the UMass campus to spend time with their “Bigs,” or mentors, who are UMass students.

The program officially launched in October 2018 with a total of 18 participating “Littles,” or mentees. At each visit, Littles will do a group activity before spending one-on-one time with their Bigs.

“Research tells us that mentoring is one of the best things college students can do to help our youth, making this partnership with Big Brothers Big Sisters of Massachusetts Bay even more important to our university,” said Deirdre Healy, director of the office of community service and partnerships at UMassD.

UMass Dartmouth is the sixth college to partner with the organization. The campus partnerships help serve more children on the waiting list for mentors and allows the children and the students a unique experience.

“Our hope is that this program shows local youth of New Bedford that college is fun, accessible and can be a part of all of their futures. Bigs can help shape their vision of the college experience and give them something to strive for,” said Wendy Foster, president and CEO of Big Brothers Big Sisters of Massachusetts Bay. “This is a great opportunity for students to connect with their local community in a really special and impactful way, and we envision the program growing year-after-year and becoming a big part of the culture at UMassD.”

For more information about Big Brothers Big Sisters of Massachusetts Bay and its campus based program, go to bbbsmb.org.