Big Brothers Big Sisters of San Diego County, Inc.

Goal 1: Meet monthly service goals; meet annual average match length goals. Focus on quality of service, quality of matches and volunteers. Goal 2: Through mental health and trauma informed care training, staff, volunteers and leaders at BBBS will learn the skills they need support youth who have experienced or continue to experience significant emotional or physical trauma. Youth will learn essential coping skills necessary for addressing and healing from their trauma through workshops and activities that help them work through their feelings of anxiety and depression, in a safe, nurturing environment. Goal 3: BBBS aims to increase the number of supplemental activities open to active matches on topics of mutual interest to them. BBBS plans to offer at least one activity per month open to Community Mentoring matches on the following topics: financial literacy, leadership development, soft skills development, STEM learning, physical health and wellness, and community volunteerism.

Many BBBS match support staff members have masters degrees; all are credentialed professionals. BBBS staff and volunteers undergo rigorous training in order to ensure match safety and quality of care. All program staff members participate in leadership development trainings, program trainings, and safety trainings annually. BBBS leadership staff are highly qualified and experienced in recruitment, program support, fundraising, marketing and business management. As a valued member of the San Diego community since 1961, BBBS is a highly qualified community leader in the youth development field.

BBBS staff administers a Youth Outcomes Survey (YOS) to all youth aged 9 and older upon enrollment and after one year in the program. The 32-item assessment captures outcome-associated attitudes and behaviors such as negative risk-taking (drug, alcohol and tobacco use), truancy, self-esteem, peer relationships, parental relationships, grades, and academic expectations. Results from the YOS show the significant, positive impact of mentoring on key indicators for long term outcomes. In the 2017 YOS, 100% of children served improved in four or more measured outcomes. BBBS tracks match length in its proprietary Agency Information Management system, which can be used to assess an annual average match length and changes to that number. In addition, BBBS staff personally support each mentoring match, to ensure satisfaction among both Bigs and Littles, assess participant needs, and get immediate and ongoing feedback about its programs.

2018 accomplishments include: • 1,400 children served from 82 zip codes across San Diego County • Met first year goal for Bigs with Badges, a mentoring program that pairs law enforcement mentors with children from the communities they serve (25 matches made in launch year) • Workshops held quarterly on financial literacy, financial aid, college application preparation, and resume writing/job readiness. • Eight corporate partners opened their doors to youth through workplace mentoring initiative Beyond School Walls • 99% of Littles improved or maintained “attitudes toward risky behavior” after one year • 92% of Littles improved or maintained “scholastic competence” after one year In 2019, BBBS will expand trauma-informed care training to volunteers and youth. Additionally, BBBS will expand number of children served through Bigs with Badges to 35 matches, and will expand Beyond School Walls to add two additional corporate partner sites focused on workforce development.