BIG BROTHERS BIG SISTERS OF GREATER LOS LOS ANGELES

COMMUNITY BASED MENTORING: FROM JULY 2023 - JUNE 2024, BBBSLA SERVED AN ESTIMATED 743 CHILDREN AND YOUTH AGES 6-18 IN THE COMMUNITY-BASED MENTORING PROGRAM, THE AGENCY'S LARGEST PROGRAM. THIS YEAR-ROUND PROGRAM MATCHES CHILDREN AND YOUTH WITH PROFESSIONALLY SCREENED ADULT MENTORS TO CULTIVATE POSITIVE AND HEALTHY RELATIONSHIPS AIMED AT IMPROVING SOCIAL, EMOTIONAL, BEHAVIORAL, AND ACADEMIC OUTCOMES. IN ADDITION TO PROVIDING ONGOING MATCH SUPPORT AND RECOMMENDATIONS FOR MENTOR-MENTEE OUTINGS, BBBSLA ORGANIZED SPECIAL EVENTS AND ACTIVITIES IN COLLABORATION WITH COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS, CORPORATE PARTNERS, AND OTHER SUPPORTERS TO ENHANCE THE MENTORING EXPERIENCE. ADDITIONALLY, THE AGENCY ESTABLISHED A FULL-TIME FAMILY ENGAGEMENT COORDINATOR POSITION TO HOLISTICALLY SUPPORT FAMILIES, LITTLES, AND BIGS BY OFFERING TAILORED RESOURCES AND WORKSHOPS ON TOPICS THEY IDENTIFIED AS AREAS WHERE THEY NEED ASSISTANCE.

SCHOOL BASED MENTORING: FROM JULY 2023 TO JUNE 2024, BBBSLA SERVED AN ESTIMATED 103 CHILDREN AND YOUTH IN THE SCHOOL BASED MENTORING PROGRAM. THROUGH THIS PROGRAM, AND IN PARTNERSHIP WITH SCHOOLS ACROSS LOS ANGELES COUNTY, BBBSLA PROVIDED WEEKLY ONE-HOUR MENTORING SESSIONS TO ELEMENTARY STUDENTS IN GRADES 2-5 BY PAIRING THEM WITH PROFESSIONALLY SCREENED ADULT MENTORS IN THE SCHOOL SETTING. AN ADDITIONAL COMPONENT OF OUR SCHOOL-BASED MENTORING PROGRAM IS THE HIGH SCHOOL BIGS PROGRAM, A UNIQUE INITIATIVE WHERE HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS VOLUNTEER AS MENTORS FOR ELEMENTARY STUDENTS. THESE ONE-HOUR WEEKLY SESSIONS RUN THROUGHOUT THE SCHOOL YEAR, WITH ALL MENTORING ACTIVITIES GUIDED BY ON-SITE BBBSLA STAFF USING A STAFF-CURATED, EVIDENCE-BASED CURRICULUM. THIS YEAR, WE OPERATED ONE ACTIVE SCHOOL-BASED PROGRAM WITH ADULT MENTORS AT 20TH STREET ELEMENTARY SCHOOL, AND FOUR ACTIVE HIGH SCHOOL BIGS PROGRAMS AT MCKINLEY, LA VERNE HEIGHTS, GRACE MILLER, AND TRACY ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS. FURTHER EXPANDING OUR IMPACT, BBBSLA PARTNERED WITH THE CITY OF LONG BEACH TO INTRODUCE MENTORSHIP PROGRAMMING FOR MIDDLE SCHOOL STUDENTS. IN THIS INITIATIVE, MIDDLE SCHOOL STUDENTS ARE MATCHED WITH CITY EMPLOYEES WHO SERVE AS MENTORS. WE OPERATED THREE ACTIVE MIDDLE SCHOOL PROGRAMS AT LINDBERGH, FRANKLIN, AND STEPHENS MIDDLE SCHOOLS.