Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Sun Coast, Inc.

BBBSSC's mission is to create and support one-to-one mentoring relationships that ignite the power and promise of youth. The Agency offers the only evidence-based, research-driven, one-to-one mentoring program for 5-21 year-old at-risk youth in the 10-county area it serves: Charlotte, Collier, DeSoto, Glades, Hardee, Hendry, Highlands, Lee, Manatee, and Sarasota Counties. BBBSSC serves youth ages 5 through 21 with a demonstrated need and desire for additional adult support. Enrolled youth over the age of 18 are either in high school or they participate in the Agency’s Big Futures program (described below). Typically, youth enrolled in BBBSSC’s One-to-One Mentoring Program face several challenges, as follows:

• Poverty or economic disadvantage
• Poor academic progress as defined by the student’s school district
• Abandonment, death, or incarceration of one or both parents
• Equity barriers--racial, ethnic, LGBTQ, economic, language, disability, educational, etc.
• High risk behavior (i.e., truancy, school suspension, illegal substance abuse, delinquency, etc.)
• Teen pregnancy
• Difficulty maintaining stable relationships (i.e., socially isolated, rejected by peer group, feels alienated by family or teachers, etc.)

Within the umbrella of the One to One Mentoring Program are several initiatives BBBSSC designed to meet the needs of at-risk youth: Reading Bigs, fostering a love of literature and aiding in the development of grade-level reading skills for students reading below grade level; Gateway to Success (GTS), supporting 8th-9th grade students as they transition from middle to high school; Decisions to Win (DTW), helping 10th-12th grade students achieve grade level promotion and graduation; Juvenile Justice Mentoring Initiative (JJMI), specializing in prevention and early intervention for youth who are at high risk of entering the juvenile justice system or who are already in the system; Beyond School Walls (BSW), providing high school students the hands-on opportunity to experience what it means to work in a business setting; and Big Futures, filling a service gap for older at-risk youth as they reach young adulthood. Big Futures affords continued guidance to the high school youth BBBSSC currently serves until they reach age 21, and thereby places these youth on a career pathway to sustainable independence. This continuum of educational mentoring services positively impacts the futures of at-risk youth and the economic health of the local community. By supporting disadvantaged youth through high school graduation and guiding them toward--and during--higher education or a career that fosters financial independence, a solid foundation is established for a productive and secure financial future.

The major elements of the One to One Mentoring Program include the following:

- recruitment of reliable volunteer mentors from local businesses, professional associations, clubs, and churches, followed by background screening and training;
- referrals of at-risk youth from schools and youth services agencies, as well as agency promotion;
- youth and mentors are interviewed, assessed, and matched based on their compatibility and needs;
- regularly-scheduled mentoring;
- collaboration with local cultural, educational, recreational, and sports facilities, resulting in free or low-cost activities for matches;
- match oversight by a Degreed and Certified Mentor Manager who continually works with the youth, parent/guardian, and mentor, focusing on child safety and support;
- progress is measured through direct interaction with match parties and relevant school personnel, report cards, and pre/post test measurement tools.

The One to One Mentoring Program contributes to positive youth development by providing at-risk youth with mentors who help them to remain in school and make academic progress, avoid risky behaviors, maintain and develop positive relationships, and work toward a transition to a productive adulthood, which affords clients the motivation and capacity to give back to their local community.

BBBSSC incorporates a two-generational (2GEN) approach by referring clients’ parent/guardian to other social services agencies as needed, and through joint participation in a variety of activities, as follows: the Summer Reading Challenge; financial literacy programming; invitations to attend all BBBSSC back-to-school events and holiday parties; and participation on the Agency Program Task Force that advises BBBSSC on proposed policy changes. This wide range of activities / programming, as well as BBBSSC’s referrals to other service agencies, is designed to address a broad spectrum of 2GEN needs: social services for the family, financial literacy education, and the further development of a positive 2GEN relationship.

Developing and strengthening more than 120 partnerships and collaborations and garnering needed financial support through a multitude of fundraising strategies, including the annual campaign, corporate partnership development, major gifts, grants, private donors, and special events, has proven successful for the Agency for 38 years. BBBSSC relies on these diverse sources of funding to ensure the sustainability of critically needed mentoring programs. The Agency has Development Directors who are dedicated to initiating, developing, and strengthening partner relationships with local businesses, faith-based organizations, and professional clubs and organizations.

Since its inception in 1968, Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Sun Coast has grown from a small volunteer organization to its position today as the leading youth mentoring organization in Southwest Florida. The agency is governed by its Corporate Board of Directors, with separate Community Boards representing each distinct service area. BBBSSC's President and CEO, Joy Mahler, has led the Agency for 38 years.

Partnerships provide the means for BBBSSC to reach and advocate for at-risk youth, recruit reliable volunteers, and provide underprivileged youth with the opportunity to connect with a larger network of community resources. BBBSSC’s partnerships and collaborations help to provide the Agency with the means to accomplish its mission and positively impact the long-term future of the local community’s at-risk youth. Under the terms of an active and annually renewed interagency agreement with each school board within the agency's footprint, school districts provide BBBSSC with client referrals, grade reports, student progress on targeted outcomes, and access to school staff. BBBSSC collaborates with sheriff’s offices, youth and family services organizations, local businesses, professional organizations, clubs, and churches to recruit volunteers (with intentional focus upon recruiting male and minority individuals), reach at-risk youth, benefit from their expertise (such as through mentor enrichment trainings hosted by the sheriff’s offices), and host or assist with events.

There was no break in services during the pandemic and, in fact, mentors have been connecting with their matched Little more frequently, ensuring that they remain on track academically, are on the path to meeting anticipated outcomes, and that they and their families have the resources needed to have all of their needs met. Utilizing various virtual platforms for interviewing, one-to-one mentoring sessions, expert-led mentor enrichment trainings, match activities, and connections to clients /families /mentors /other service providers was key to meeting clients' needs and exceeding anticipated outcomes.

BBBSSC has offered virtual mentor enrichment seminars using the expertise of local professionals, and it has hosted many educational and fun virtual experiences for clients and matches, such as cooking lessons, reading games, and holiday celebrations. Although community-based programming has resumed for those matches that are comfortable again with in-person meetings, BBBSSC will maintain the option of virtual mentoring for matches that are not comfortable resuming in-person interactions, and for matches that would like to engage in virtual meetings and activities as a supplement to their in-person mentoring. BBBSSC Staff have observed that virtual mentoring has provided the opportunity for matches to meet even more frequently with this additional venue.

The Agency measures One to One Mentoring Program success by measuring changes in academic achievement and risky behaviors. These outcomes are measured utilizing objective and subjective methods. Objective measurement includes individualized Youth Outcome Development Plan, and the evaluation of academic grade reports. Subjective measurement includes professional Mentor Manager assessment and observation in collaboration with regular contact with the mentor, the youth, the youth’s parent/guardian, and
appropriate school personnel. The academic focus of the One to One Mentoring Program has resulted in outstanding outcomes for the underprivileged youth served. Of students served during the July 2020 – June 2021 academic/fiscal year, 98% earned grade level promotion or graduated high school. Among graduates, 94% enrolled in higher education, the military, or entered the workforce.

Similarly high outcomes are anticipated for the current July 2021 - June 2022 fiscal year, as high outcomes are consistently achieved. This constancy in results, coupled with the fact that youth who achieve academic success and graduate from high school are afforded greater opportunities for gainful employment, results in the One to One Mentoring Program helping to create a pathway for the educational successes necessary for at-risk youth to escape poverty and lead self-sufficient, productive lives.

BBBSSC enables clients to develop the life skills and plan needed to achieve a post-secondary education or a career pathway that will lead to a financially independent adulthood. Disadvantaged students often do not have the guidance needed for this development, and they are thereby less likely to enter adulthood prepared to overcome barriers and access opportunities. BBBSSC's mentors provide disadvantaged youth with ongoing financial planning tools, guidance, and strategies. Mentors work with clients to ensure FAFSA completion, as well as job, scholarship, and higher education applications. Also, thanks to a partnership with Career Source, clients are provided with career coaches, internship opportunities, job search assistance, and various career-related workshops that include learning about career opportunities, resume-building, and mock interviews.