Goals and Expectations

The program has three main goals:

• To provide local children with consistent, reliable St. Bonaventure college students to serve as mentors and role models.
• To provide St. Bonaventure students an opportunity to engage in community service and to serve as representatives of St. Bonaventure throughout Olean and surrounding areas.
• To educate and empower children and youths while enabling St. Bonaventure students to share their gifts and skills.

In keeping with our goals, St. Bonaventure students are expected to:

• “Be Creative, Flexible and Responsible!” We strongly encourage you to be creative in your activities with your buddy, flexible in your openness to scheduling and collaboration, and responsible to your commitment. We prefer you ask for help sooner rather than later.   
• Maintain weekly contact with you Bona Buddy and, when unable, to notify your buddy and his/her parent or guardian of scheduling conflicts.
• Maintain contact with Bona Buddies Program staff via weekly logs, monthly meetings and regular campus contact.
• Engage in and promote healthy, safe and fun activities.
• Commit to learning about ways to protect children through the trainings, weekly e-mails and updates from sites such as http://www.virtus.org/virtus/.