Berea Buddies

Good Afternoon, Madison County!

Get ready for another amazing semester of Berea Buddies this Spring! Berea Buddies offers a chance to build connections, make friends, and enjoy memorable experiences together.

Berea Buddies, organized by CELTS (The Center for Excellence in Learning Through Service), is a mentorship program pairing Little Buddies, Kindergarten to 5th Grade Students, with Big Buddies, Berea College Students.

Starting this semester, Berea Buddies is now reintroducing dining. Now, Little Buddies can enjoy shared meals with their Big Buddies at Berea College's dining hall. Because of this new addition to our program, Berea Buddies will begin at 5:15 pm, with drop-off at the Woods-Penniman Building Circle. If needed, CELTS will provide transportation.

Following dining, Little Buddies and Big Buddies will head to CELTS and participate in group activities centered around this semester's theme of "Around The World." Each week, we'll discover a new country, learn about the country, and partake in fun dances and games from that country. In addition to our planned programs, buddies will have opportunities to complete arts & crafts and play board games as well as attend occasional on-campus "field trips" to our on-campus gym, Planetarium, and more.

Berea Buddies will end at 8:00 pm. Pick-up will be on the 2nd floor of the John B. Stephenson Hall Building as in previous semesters.

Berea Buddies Programming Starts Monday, February 5th & Tuesday, February 6th. Participants partake in whichever day works best for you. We are excited to start programming and look forward to seeing returning Little Buddies and meeting new ones.

Apply Today! https://www.berea.edu/centers/center-for-excellence-in-learning-through-service/programs/berea-buddies

If you have any questions or concerns, feel free to reach out to the Berea Buddies email - [email protected]

Thank you.

It’s not too late! Sign your child up today for our free mentorship program!

-Jenna Blakey-Bader, Program Manager

Si están interesados en tener a su hijo/a en este programa por favor mándenos un mensaje a nuestro email [email protected]

AFTER SCHOOL PROGRAM: Berea Buddies!
Greetings, We are excited to offer another semester of mentoring for Berea children from K-6th grades! Please email us at [email protected] for an application! Programming begins September 18th.

Berea Buddies is finally back in business! Sign your child up today for our in-person programming beginning September 26th. Email [email protected] or comment with your email address if you would like to receive more information. We will be accepting applications through the weekend.

Come see us at the CELTS open house tonight from 5-7! Learn more about our volunteer opportunities and our labor positions!

Tonight, our team presented at one of People Who Care’s Café Social Justice. Our talk centered on the impacts of COVID and poverty have had on children’s literacy rates. We discussed the facts along with how Buddies is addressing this issue with our participants.

This past week, Berea Buddies delivered 30 of our “Buddies Backpacks.” Each backpack contains 4 different crafts that follow our theme of “A Storybook Adventure” which each craft based on a children’s book. If you are interested in signing your child up for this program, email us at [email protected]!

It's a new school year, and we have a brand new team! Meet Carolina Castillo-Ibarra!

Hola! My name is Carolina Castillo-Ibarra, a second-year student at Berea College from Columbus, North Carolina. I love to eat sushi, play volleyball, paint, be outdoors, and spend time with family and friends. I am also on the XC/Track team for Berea College. My intended major is elementary education because it is beautiful how teachers impact children's lives, so I want to be one day changing a kid's life. I enjoy working with children while providing them a fun and safe space. So I am beyond grateful to work with Berea Buddies, and as I know, this year will be fun and memorable for the children! I look forward to creating fantastic memories with Berea Buddies and our Buddies this year!

It's a new school year, and we have a brand new team! Meet Emily Krolak.

Hi everybody! My name is Emily and I am a senior at Berea College studying Child and Family Studies. A few things I love are my friends, family, and my cat Garbanzo Bean, or Banzo for short. I love working with children because they always find a way to brighten up the day Their passion and curiosity about the world never ceases to inspire me and push me to be the kind of role model I wish I had growing up. I am incredibly excited to work on the Berea Buddies team this year and to get to connect with all of the wonderful buddies that sign up for our program. Even though we are still living in uncertain times, I know our team and program participants will make the most of the time we have together -- in whatever capacity that may be

It is a new school year, so it is time to introduce the new team!

Jenna Blakey is a Sophomore studying Psychology and Women's & Gender Studies. She has two younger siblings and loves working with kids. Jenna would love to one day have her own business where she can help people in need. Her favorite color is blue and her favorite cartoon is 'What's New Scooby-Doo?'. Jenna is a member of the Emerging Scholars Program, Bonner Scholars Program, and Entrepreneurship for the Public Good at Berea College, and a Horatio Alger Scholar for the state of Kentucky.

We are hiring! If you are a Berea College student looking for a labor position, this may just be the one for you! If you are interested, email us at [email protected] for an application!

Berea Buddies is an opportunity to connect one-on-one with a child and make them feel important and heard. By sharing a meal, engaging in play, or making crafts together, Berea Buddy pairs form meaningful connections and make memories that will last a lifetime. By being a team member, you can continue that good work for the children of Berea by creating fun and engaging programming.

About Berea Buddies
•Working with children is a rewarding experience and allows you to grow and learn from them just as much as they learn from you. Berea Buddies is an opportunity to connect one-on-one with a child and make them feel important and heard. By sharing a meal, engaging in play, or making crafts together, the Berea Buddies program allows you to form meaningful connections and make memories that will last a lifetime.
•At Berea Buddies, we strive to make enriching programming that allows our Buddies to have fun and learn the soft skills not normally taught in the classroom. We pair students in kindergarten through the sixth grade with a Berea College student so that the Big Buddy mentor can be a positive influence on the Little Buddy mentee. We have program on Monday and Tuesday nights, and we have fun and engaging activities for our Buddies to participate in.
•As a team member, you are the engine behind our program. You are given the opportunity to be creative and plan enriching program.
•Looking to get off campus? As a team member, you are able to explore the broader Berea community by assisting with participant pick up/drop off and supply runs.
•As a team member, the bulk of your hours comes from programming on Monday and Tuesday nights, leaving the rest of your week flexible for your studies and other activities.
•When you are a team member with Berea Buddies, you are responsible for both the children and the volunteers. While this may sound worrisome, this responsibility helps you grow and learn from this hands-on experience. Not to mention, you are able to form a lasting connection with each of our little buddies.

So, if you are passionate about working with kids, being creative, and understanding more about the broader Berea community, being a team member for Berea Buddies just may be for you!

Hello, we have already contacted parents and volunteers, but we wanted to post on here as well. Due to the recent decision by Berea College to cancel instruction after Friday, March 13th, CELTS, and therefore Berea Buddies, has decided to suspend programming for the rest of the semester. We thank all of our parents and volunteers for participating in our program, and we look forward to starting program back next semester in August. Thank you for being understanding during this time.

To parents: if you would like to pick up your child's jar from this semester, you can come by CELTS in Stephanson Hall next week Monday through Friday, 10:00 am-4:00 pm.

Time for another VOLUNTEER SPOTLIGHT!

Today's volunteer is Lilly Rice, a first year Economics major. Here is what she says about Berea Buddies:

"I love Berea Buddies because it is such a fantastic opportunity to get to connect with someone from off-campus and show them the experiences that we take advantage of on campus. Seeing a little face light up at the sight of any cereal they can imagine, the stars on the ceiling of the planetarium, and tons of rainbow sprinkles on an ice cream cone makes a busy, stressful Monday worth it. The program sets the bar for the week on a positive note."

We are so glad to have Lilly as a volunteer!

It's time for another VOLUNTEER SPOTLIGHT! This week, we have Gabby Kirby, a First-Year Health and Human Performance major with a Child and Family Studies minor. Here is what she says about her time with Berea Buddies:

"I have always loved working with kids and Berea Buddies is an amazing opportunity to continue this passion. I love to talk to kids, to hear how they view the world and their opinions; to hear about their passions and what they love to do. Berea Buddies gives me the chance to work one-on-one with a child, allowing them to learn from me and vise-versa. Through the program, I can be a great friend and teacher to a young child in the community, for which I am beyond grateful. Each week is a new opportunity to help my buddy to grow and to give them a time where it is all about them and what they want to do, which I think everyone deserves. I am so excited to continue the program throughout my time here at Berea and cannot wait to see what the future has in store!"

Thank you, Gabby, for being an amazing volunteer!

Happy Valentines Day from Berea Buddies! We love all of our wonderful Big and Little Buddies!!

Calling All Berea Non-Traditional Students! Berea Buddies is currently accepting applications for Little Buddies! If you are unfamiliar with our program, we are a weekly mentorship program that pairs elementary-aged kids with a "Big Buddy" college student. They eat a meal together at dining and do fun activities at CELTS! We meet on Mondays or Tuesdays (you pick the day) from 5:30 to 7:45 pm. We can even provide transportation! If you are interested, please email us at [email protected] or call us at (859)985-3805!

Time for another VOLUNTEER SPOTLIGHT!! Today, we are spotlighting Sarah Deal, a junior Child and Family Studies major.

“Berea Buddies gives me the chance to be the friend to someone else that I needed when I was younger. It’s so important to teach children that their feelings matter and to establish a relationship that lets them feel safe enough to be their true self. Spending quality time with children might not seem like much of an impact, but it could mean the world to them.”

Thank you to Sarah for being an amazing volunteer!!

Time for another VOLUNTEER SPOTLIGHT! Today, we are featuring Immanuel Darling, a freshman Health and Human Performance major here at Berea.

He says, "I love Berea Buddies for giving me the ability to interact with children on a weekly basis. I enjoy being able to impact a child’s life for the better, even if it is just for a few hours a week. I love kids and plan to continue to do Berea Buddies for the next 4 years!"

Thank you to Immanuel for being such a great volunteer!

PARENTS AND VOLUNTEERS: Next week, 11/18 and 11/19, will be our last week of program for this semester! It will be a celebration of all we have done this semester! Please be sure to attend! We will start program back up again in February!

Also, Little Buddy applications for next semester will be arriving in your mailbox soon. Parents, you must fill out the form for your child to remain in the program!

See you next week!

Today's VOLUNTEER SPOTLIGHT is on Grace Wood, a freshman here at Berea.

She says, " My favorite thing about Berea Buddies is getting to spend time with my little buddy because no matter what activities are planned she always brightens my day. Out of all the fun things we have done in buddies, my favorite memory is when my little buddy and I made friendship bracelets for each other, or when we carved pumpkins for Halloween!"

Thank you to Grace for being such a great volunteer!

This week's VOLUNTEER SPOTLIGHT is on Davallen Brassfield! She is a sophomore Child and Family Studies major here at Berea.

"This will be my third semester volunteering with Berea Buddies, which probably shows that I really enjoy it! The best part about participating in this program is that I get to build a bond with my little buddy. Also, I have the opportunity to leave a positive mark on their life! I can't leave out the fact that my little buddy never fails to brighten my day and bring out the inner kid in me. That is something we all need every once in a while."

We want to thank Davallen for her dedication to Buddies and for being such a great volunteer. Join us later in the week for another VOLUNTEER SPOTLIGHT!

It's now easier to email Berea Buddies

Time for a Volunteer Spotlight! This week’s spotlight is on Kaitlyn Wilder, a sophomore Psychology major here at Berea.

“Berea Buddies is an amazing opportunity to serve the children of the Berea area. I love Buddies because I am able to make an impact on little buddies through interactive activities. My favorite moment from buddies was when my little buddy was enthralled with an activity we did about space and the planets. They exclaimed ‘I want to be an astronaut!’ I love that!”

Kaitlyn Wilder ‘22

Can’t wait for our Halloween program this evening!

P.S Thank you so much First year Bonners for decorating!

Hi volunteers and parents! This is a reminder that applications have been sent out and are due very soon! Volunteer (Big Buddy) applications are due this Friday, September 6th and participant (Little Buddy) applications are due September 9th. If you haven't gotten an application yet, stop by the CELTS office or email us at [email protected]. We look forward to a fun semester!

Have you filled your bucket today? Are you helping fill others? Look below for ways to fill a bucket.

This week the students learned about filling each other’s buckets through sharing, smiling, kindness, and many other positive and impactful things. The little buddies shared how they fill their buckets and how bad it is to dip into others buckets. We learned a lot from them this week! Tell us how you fill your bucket down in the comments, and tag your good buddy!!!

This week the buddy pairs learned about the importance of words and friendship through the lens of Charlotte’s Web! Each buddy wrote down the name of their best friend and a word that described them on a spider and then placed it on the web. How cute!!!

TAG YOUR BESTFRIEND!