April 30, 2014 / by novabigs / Make A Comment / Filed under News
Georgetown Prep High School in North Bethesda, MD has a limited number of spots available in their summer sports camps for ‘Littles’ from BBBS of the National Capital Area.
There is one opportunity for each of the six one-week camp sessions. Five sessions are only available to boys, while one session is only open to girls. Camp runs from 8:30am-3:30pm each day and includes at least one swim session during the week. Campers must bring or buy their lunch each day and will be provided a camp jersey to wear each day. Campers must be between 10-15 years old.
Camp sessions are the following:
June 16th-20th
June 23rd-June 27th
July 7th-11th (Girls Only)
July 14th-18th
July 21st-25th
August 4th-8th
Each camper needs to provide a completed application, which can be completed online or brought to the school. Application can be found at their website here.
May 15, 2013 / by novabigs / Make A Comment / Filed under News
Child safety is a top priority for Big Brothers Big Sisters. As a Big, you need to protect the privacy of your Little at all times. Social media sites, such as Facebook, YouTube, Twitter and MySpace, do not prevent the public viewing of information and pictures. It is important that BBBS volunteers avoid posting any personal information about their Little, full name, where they live, or descriptions of their personal or family background that could identify your Little or be considered disrespectful.
It is appropriate to post general information about your match such as activities you share or highlights of your time together. Posting a youth’s last name, address or information that might identify them is never appropriate. For example, an appropriate post would be: “Today, I am baking cookies with my Little Sister Sam (First Name ONLY) from the Big Brothers Big Sisters program.”
BBBS staff obtain parent/guardian permission to post photos and limited profile information on youth on our website or other agency media outlets such as TV and print. These are the only acceptable instances for public posting of BBBS program participants. We do not obtain permission for volunteers to post pictures of their Littles on their personal social media site(s). If you would like to post a picture of your Little on your personal social media page, the agency requests that you respect the privacy of others and obtain your Little’s guardian’s permission before doing so. In addition, pictures should never be tagged and must display an appropriate activity(s).
Your Little’s Access to Your Social Media Site
Many Littles may want to friend their Big on MySpace or Facebook. There are two main points to consider before you become friends with a Little or keeping your profile open to the public:
- You are a role model. Even though it is perfectly normal adult behavior to go out or attend a party, etc., your Little should not be exposed to pictures or comments that are inappropriate. Keep in mind that people can tag you in pictures and write comments that your Little may see before you can delete them.
- The BBBS program is designed to develop relationships between Bigs and Littles via one-to-one interaction. Sharing information with your Little via Social Media can change how your friendship develops. For example, if your Little’s page/site indicates they are engaged in behavior that puts them in danger such as drinking, doing drugs or cyber bullying, depending on the situation, you may be obligated to take action. Also, your Little may see personal information that you may not be ready to share with them such as a change in your relationship status or how you feel about school or work. Sharing this type of personal information could impact the relationship negatively and impede trust from developing.
Comments/Wall Posts
One of the main advantages of Social Media sites is the ability to interact and communicate with other Bigs, either to ask for advice or share experiences. We support this type of communication when used appropriately without identifying personal information. There have even been cases in which a former Big or Little has reached out to the online community to find their Little/Big. In addition, parents/guardians of Littles can also join the Big Brothers Big Sisters online community to offer past and current experiences. Please remember to always maintain the privacy of Littles and their families.
Facebook Security Setting Recommendations, if you decide to Friend your Little
Go to Privacy Settings:
Select Hide (LITTLE BROTHER or SISTER NAME) this from view for the following items:
- Photos and Videos of Me. Select “Hide Photos and Videos of Me where I am tagged from view of NAME OF LITTLE”.
- Posts by friends
- Comments on posts
- Photo Albums (case by case basis)
Big Brothers Big Sisters of the National Capital Area
Social Media Guidelines for Bigs
BBBS Facebook Fan Page and YouTube
Visit BBBSNCA at www.BBBSNCA.org, Like Us on Facebook, and
See BBBS matches in action! www.YouTube.com/BBBSVolunteers
March 16, 2013 / by novabigs / Make A Comment / Filed under News
One of our fellow Bigs is a CPA. He suggests the following tax information may be helpful to Bigs. If you have questions about your situation, please contact a tax advisor. NovaBigs does not provide tax advice.
If you itemize your taxes (mostly if you own a home) your mileage at $0.14 a mile and personal expenses spent on your little are tax deductible. Mileage would include the round-trip miles from your home to your little’s home. Mileage incurred when you went somewhere with your little would need to be prorated as it is a personal expense in part.
For example if it is 10 miles each way from your home to your little’s home and you drive 6 miles round-trip from your little’s home to the movies your mileage deduction would be 23 miles:
-20 miles round-trip from your home to your little’s home
-3 miles to prorate half personal and half for your little to the movies.
Additionally any expenses spent directly on your little would be deductible as an itemized deduction. For example if it costs you $7 each for the movie and you each purchased a $4 popcorn only $11 would be deductible ($7 for your little’s movie and $4 for your little’s popcorn). Your portion of the expenses for when you do something with your little is never deductible.
More information is availalbe at:
http://bbbscapitalregion.org/forbigsonly/index.php
March 4, 2012 / by novabigs / Make A Comment / Filed under News
NovaBigs is introducing a buddy system to help acclimate new Bigs and their Littles to the program. The Orientation Committee of NovaBigs is offering to match new Bigs with “buddies”: experienced, veteran Bigs who have volunteered to help our newcomers get both feet firmly on the ground in their new match.
For additional information, send an e-mail to novabigs [ at ] ymail.com.
