February 2020 Hi Big Sister,There are several fun activities taking place in February below! Make sure to check each event website directly for the most up-to-date times and locations. If you have questions or need additional activity ideas, please connect with your Match Support Specialist and they will be able to assist you. Follow our Facebook page for news, other activity ideas and ticket opportunities. Have a great month with your Little Sister! All the best, Amanda and the Big Sister Boston Match Support team Note: All activities on this calendar are free unless otherwise listed. Pro tips to becoming a Mixer Streamer Workshop (ages 13+)Saturdays and Sundays throughout February | 12:00 PM - 1:00 PM | Microsoft Prudential Center | Ages 13+ If your Little Sister is showing interest in the world of streaming this Mircrosoft workshop could be an option to explore together! In this free two-hour Mixer Academy workshop, students thirteen and older will learn it all: from setting up a Mixer account, key features of the Mixer platform and how to grow an audience including creating your own streaming action plan. If this event doesn't work for you Microsoft offers a host of other events to check out through the link below! Black Restaurant ChallengeThroughout February | Multiple Locations | All Ages In celebration of Black History Month and in solidarity with our community State Rep. Chynah Tyler created the Boston Black Restaurant Challenge as a fun way to support Black-owned businesses, explore different culinary and cultural experiences and promote economic development. The challenge is for residents to visit at least four of these restaurants during the month of February! This could be a great activity for you and your Little Sister to do together and explore the topics of Black History Month, entrepreneurship, and for older Littles what it means to spend your money intentionally towards small businesses. Check out this article for more info and the Boston Black Restaurant Challenge Facebook Page to tag and share your adventures! 12th Annual “Some Like it Hot” Chili Cook-offSaturday, February 1 | 1:00 PM - 2:30 PM | Brattle Plaza: Cambridge | All Ages The renowned 12th Annual ‘Some Like it Hot’ Chili Cook-off returns to Harvard Square on Saturday, February 1st, 2020 – a precursor to the Super Bowl! Join us for this festive, fun and FREE outdoor event! It’s going to a ‘balmy’ 45 degrees and eating chili is a delicious way to the warm the senses and your body! While you are there, enjoy Harvard Square’s favorites, Grooversity, as they pump up the crowd with their infectious and heart-stopping percussion combining Brazilian grooves like Samba and Axe with Funk, Rock, Jazz and Hip Hop. Free 90 Minute Jump for Little Sisters at SkyzoneMonday through Thursday | Skyzone Locations | All Ages Sky Zone is proud to partner with Big Brothers Big Sisters and its affiliates by offering buy-one-get-one-free 90-minute jump passes to BBBS matches, which will enable Bigs to get free jump time for their Littles. The coupon can be used until June 30, 2020 and are valid Monday -Thursday. There is no limit on how many times a Big and Little can use a coupon to take advantage of the discount during the year. Sign up process may vary based on location! Calling the location beforehand is encouraged. Coding workshop for girls: Selfies + SnapChat!Saturday, February 8 | 9:00 AM - 1:00 PM | 210 West Village H: 440 Huntington Ave | Ages 10-16 Join Women's Community of code for this fun, hands-on computer science workshop with a selfie theme! We'll start with a hands-on "computer science unplugged" activity, and we’ll learn how some of our favorite apps like SnapChat and Instagram put those filters on all our pics. This is a practical workshop, too, so we’ll write code to build image filters of our own -- the more creative, the better! Girls* ages 10-16 are invited to join us for this beginner-friendly, free coding workshop in Boston. *We are welcoming and respectful of trans women, non-binary individuals, and any others who identify as a woman in a way that is significant to them. Latin American Music FestivalDates and Times Vary | The Rivers School Conservatory: Weston | All Ages Thanks to our partners at the Rivers School Conservatory, Big and Little Sisters can attend their choice of performance at the festival! Check out the performances at the link below and sign up for your choice of performance using the promo code: BigSisterBoston Newton Hockey is Hosting a Free Skating Event for Big Brothers and Big SistersSaturday, February 8 | 5:00 PM – 5:50 PM | Daly Ice Rink: Newton | All Ages A note from the host: February is a celebration of Hockey Is For Everyone so, in that spirit, we invite Big Brothers Big Sisters for an exclusive event on February 8th at 5pm at Daly Rink in Newton. We will be hosting Big Brothers Big Sisters and the volunteers and BBBS folks at no cost to them. We will divide the rink in half so that one half is dedicated to an open skate. The other half of the rink will help the BBBS learn a little about hockey. Kids and adults with disabilities are encouraged to come to the event, as we can make accommodations, if needed. We will have multiple volunteers to support instruction and one-on-one attention. The event will be from 5:00pm-5:50pm, and we will provide pizza. Hope to see you there! Skates can be rented for $7 at the rink Drop-In Valentine’s Day CraftsSaturday, February 8 | Drop In | Uphams Corner Library | All Ages Celebrate this holiday of love and friendship. Stop by anytime to create some fun crafts for Valentine’s Day. SoWa Second SundaySunday, February 9 | 11:00 AM – 4:00 PM | SoWa Art + Design District- 450 Harrison Avenue | All Ages The artists of SoWa Artists Guild are happy to announce their newest event, SoWa Second Sunday, free and open to the public! More than 80 artists will be in their studios at 450 Harrison Avenue in the SoWa Art + Design District on the second Sunday of every month, from 11:00 AM - 4:00 PM. You can meet the artists, see a wide variety of original contemporary art and if you like, buy art that you love directly from the people who make it. "Untold American Stories: Black History Month" WorkshopsFebruary 18-21 | Various Times | The Mary Baker Eddy Library | Ages 7-12 (Approx) Join the Mary Baker Eddy Library for free activities during February School Vacation Week! There are three workshops happening during the week. Here is one happening on Tuesday! Dancing in the Light Children's Winter FestivalThursday, February 20 | 11:00 AM - 2:00 PM | Boston Common | All Ages Check out the Annual Children's Winter Festival! BCYF Girls Black History Skate and Trivia NightFriday, February 21 | 5:00 PM - 8:00 PM | Chez-Vous Skating Rink | All Ages Mayor Martin J. Walsh, the City of Boston's Black Employee Network (BEN), and the entire City of Boston will hold a month-long celebration in honor of Black History Month. During the month of February, there will be special events hosted around Boston celebrating the accomplishments and contributions of the Black community. Match ActivityFor Little Sisters ages 7-12 Dance Class with Nozama Dance Company: Into the UnknownSaturday, February 29 | 4:00 PM - 6:00 PM | The Dance Complex: Cambridge | Ages 7-12 Join in this dance workshop led by our partners: the Nozama Dance Company! The theme of this workshop will be “Facing the Unknown” Join instructors Juliana and Madison and explore through dance how it feels to face new challenges and what bravery means to you through the song "Into the Unknown" from Frozen II! No prior dance experience is needed to participate in this class. For Teens 13+Ice Cream Social: Learn about the Little Sister BoardThursday, February 20 | 6:30 PM - 8:00 PM | Big Sister Office | Ages 13+ Our teen Little Sister Matches have the opportunity to be part of our Little Sister Board! The Little Sister Board is made up of Big Sisters and their teen Little Sisters who want to take on a leadership role in our programming. This will be a chance to meet the matches on the board, play some icebreakers/games, and have some Q+A time. Oh and of course- ice cream! Learn more about the event and register below! Learn more about Sister Scholars! We at Big Sister Boston are hoping to connect another group of Little Sisters to more resources related to scholarships and post-secondary options. In order to continue our streamlined scholarship process, we are once again sending out a survey monkey to all matches with Little Sisters 13 and older, hoping to target Sophomores, Juniors, Seniors and those already in college. Feel free to contact our Teen Match Coordinator Wanda at wrodriguez@bigsister.org if you have any questions. Celebrating You!Starting this month we will be sharing Match Anniversaries in our Monthly Activity Calendar.Congratulations to the following Big and Little Sisters who were matched in February between 2010 and 2019!
If you want to share a celebration photo and a fun fact about your match we will include those in the March edition. You can send these directly to Amanda at abowen@bigsister.org Did You Know? Your company might make a donation to Big Sister for the time you and your Little Sister spend together. Volunteer grant programs double the impact you are making! If you know your company has a volunteer grant program email Amanda at abowen@bigsister.org. |