BOLDER OPTIONS

Programs: One to One Mentoring Program Bolder Options empowers middle school youth through transformative one to one mentorship. Our unique approach pairs youth with a trained volunteer mentor for a year, focused on physical, emotional, and social wellness. Setting and achieving goals together helps young people develop confidence, resilience, and self-awareness that benefits them in all areas of life. Alumni Program The goal of the alumni program is to keep young people connected with Bolder Options beyond the first year 1:1 mentoring program, providing ongoing support and resources to help them achieve their goals. In 2023, 100% of youth participants chose to stay involved through the alumni program. Bolder Options offers a range of programs for alumni youth, including career and college exploration, leadership development, internships, and a scholarship program. Group Mentoring In 2023, Bolder Options partnered with the Little Earth Boys & Girls Club (LEBGC) to pilot a group mentoring program for middle school youth. The program brought a dozen youth from LEBGC to Bolder Options once a week to share a meal, get physically active, receive academic support, and connect with their peers. After the pilot year, Bolder Options is working now to pair group mentoring participants with 1:1 mentors and keep them engaged in our community. Accomplishments: The year 2023 marked a significant milestone for Bolder Options as we celebrated the 30th anniversary of our program, alongside the remarkable achievement of impacting 30,000 young lives. Over the last 30 years, Bolder Options served 30,000 youth, our volunteers recorded 420,000 hours, our pairs ran 70,000 miles, and through our prevention and intervention efforts, we saved taxpayers an estimated $82 million dollars. In 2023, our one-to-one mentoring program supported 170 individuals and families/85 mentor and mentee pairs. This amounted to 977 mentors and mentees attending events and 372 family members and caregivers engaged with programs. In the first year, one-to-one mentoring program, some of our outcomes include: -100% of youth accomplished at least one goal that they set for themselves -100% of youth report that they are more physically active than they were before the program -83% of youth said their behavior at school improved -75% of youth said their grades improved by being in the program -100% of youth rated their relationship with their mentor as good or excellent -100% of youth who graduated from the 1-year one-to-one program plan to remain in contact with their mentor and also opted into our next step, the alumni program. In our alumni program, 244 youth attended Bolder Options events and activities. This includes a group of alumni mentors and mentees participating in adventure learning activities that culminated in a week-long canoeing and camping trip in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area (BWCA). A total of 16 alumni youth completed our new I Believe/I Achieve career skill building programming in 2023. The I Believe Program is a paid, professional training program that helps Bolder Options alumni consider career options for their future and prepares them for work life. Participants learn skills to help them land a first job or internship with the support of volunteer career coaches. In the first year of the cohort experience, called "I Believe", participants identify their strengths, interests, and values. In the second year of the cohort, called "I Achieve", they put those skills into practice. Also in 2023, Bolder Options launched its new Bentdahl Scholarship for Bolder Options scholars pursuing post-secondary education. The scholarship was awarded to two Bolder Options alumni who have completed the one-year mentoring program, participated in adventure learning and other activities, volunteered with Bolder Options, and also successfully completed the I Believe and I Achieve cohorts. Bolder Options Twin Cities increased the diversity of our volunteer mentors growing from 20% BIPOC mentors in 2021, to 40% in 2022, and up to 61% in 2023. This progress not only reflects our commitment to mirroring the communities we serve but also underscores the richness and depth of experiences that diverse mentors bring to our youth. In 2023, 100% of mentors said they would recommend Bolder Options to a friend. We know that mentorship has an impact on young people but our mentors (83% in 2023) also report that they feel like their mentee has made a positive impact on their life too.