Big Brothers Big Sisters, in partnership with leading researchers, has developed a system to assess the progress of children in our program in real time. The tools provide us the capability to measure and report on the success of individual matches and the communities we serve with a rigorous methodology that is unmatched in the mentoring community.

These measurements, including our Youth Outcome Survey, provide us with actionable insights about how we can continually deepen our impact and improve our service to children. This essential data allows us to create a strong framework for real-time assessment of positive outcomes for our youth.

January 2012 brought us our first ever Youth Outcomes Survey report. The survey found that youth in Big Brothers Big Sisters programs (more than 83% in Community-Based programs and 73% in School-Based) maintained or saw improvement in three targeted outcome areas - educational success, avoidance of risky behaviors and socio-emotional comptetency. Youth progress in these areas is linked to longer-term outcomes, such as high school graduation, avoidance of juvenile delinquency and job readiness.

Locally, we utilize the Youth Outcome Survey in conjunction with other tools. Children in our Bigs Inspiring Scholastic Success (BISS) program who met with a mentor for 12 or more hours, showed amazing gains:

• 87% maintained or improved academic performance
• 91% maintained or improved attendance
• 87% maintained or improved behavior

The Big Brothers Big Sisters Youth Outcome Survey report found that Little Brothers and Little Sisters felt more competent about doing school work after having a mentor. Think about all of the awesome things you can do for a child, just by spending an hour a week with him or her. If you are interested in becoming a part of this amazing organization, contact Jaime David at (904) 829-9986.

Sources:

Big Brothers Big Sisters of America:  www.bbbs.org

Seth is one of our Littles and is the recipient of a cool scholarship. When the Alligator Farm offered a scholarship to one of our Littles, we immediately thought of Seth. He made many improvements last year including becoming more responsible with his homework, learning to be patient and improving his behavior. Seth will be attending one of the Zoo Camps and he is extremely excited! He's counting the days until his very first camp experience. Thanks to businesses, like the Alligator Farm, who partner with us and donors who think of Big Brothers Big Sisters when they give, kids like Seth have opportunities they normally wouldn't have. Our partners and donors help expand children's horizons. They open doors and create possibilities.  

Seth and his Big Brother, Sean, have been matched since November. Sean meets with Seth during the school year once or twice a week. They work on school assignments, read books, play outside and just hang out together. Seth loves Sean and is known for changing his hair style to mirror Sean's. When the two are together, you can see how important their relationship is to each other. They are a perfect match! Big Brothers Big Sisters relies on our dedicated mentors as well as our donors and partners. Thank you to all who support our organization. If you would like to chat about how you can start something with Big Brothers Big Sisters, contact Jaime David at (904) 829-9986 x12.