Big Brothers Big Sisters of Metro Atlanta Inc
Programs
Level Up Mentoring Program
Level Up: Future-focused In-school Mentoring in Middle Schools:Level Up is a large-scale mentoring program that utilizes paid mentors embedded full-time in middle schools. We created this innovative program in response to the needs expressed by principals, counselors and administrators for mentoring at scale in middle schools. They wanted trained positive adult role models to provide consistent and direct mentoring for students to address unprecedented levels of classroom disruptions, student conflicts and other behavior issues. The program is designed to serve 100 students per grade at partner middle schools through small group and 1:1 mentoring. We continue to serve these students through eighth grade, when possible, while adding a new group of sixth grade students each year. Mentoring sessions take place weekly during the school day in a designated space at each school and follow a curriculum aligned with these outcome areas: Mental Health, Sense of Belonging, Vision for the Future and Avoidance of Risky Behaviors.In the 2023-24 school year we served a total of 1,472 Level Up students at four Atlanta Public Schools (APS) middle schools: Bunche, Price, Young and Russell middle schools and at Lithonia middle school in DeKalb County. In continuation of the growth that aligns with our strategic plan, we recently launched a pilot to serve our first cohort of 75 9th grade students at KIPP Atlanta Collegiate. We have created a curriculum that addresses the specific needs of students in the critical 9th grade year to help build a foundation for success in high school and beyond.Level Up has garnered significant interest from local governments and school districts which has led to continued growth and expansion.GeographiesNot indicatedDatesJan 1, 2024 – Dec 31, 2024Source990No causes providedNo populations provided–$3.6M1:1 Mentoring with Volunteers
1:1 Mentoring with Volunteers:In our traditional 1:1 mentoring program we match children and youth (Littles) with caring adult volunteers (Bigs). The program is individualized for each child to meet their social, emotional and academic needs. Parents/guardians enroll their children in our program and work with program staff to identify issues their child may be dealing with, areas of concern and goals for the mentoring relationship. Our staff then create a personalized match plan for each youth outlining specific goals that can be monitored and supported for the duration of the match. Volunteers and youth are matched based on a range of criteria including geographic proximity, personality, life experiences and shared interests. The Big Brother/Sister and Little Brother/Sister spend quality time together engaged in enrichment activities at times that are most convenient for them and their families. In some cases, Bigs and Littles meet at the Little's school during the school day. A one-year commitment of two meetings/month on average is required. Each mentoring match is supported by a dedicated Program Specialist who provides ongoing resources and support to the Big, the Little and parents/guardians. Young people can remain in our program until they graduate from high school. In 2024, we served 962 children and youth ages 8-18 in our 1:1 Mentoring with Volunteers program.An enhancement to our core mentoring programs, Big Futures programming is designed to ensure that all High School youth are highly engaged and supported with tailored programming, resources and support. Our goal is that our high school Littles graduate both high school and our program with a concrete plan for their future, a sense of confidence as they enter adult life and a support system to help them navigate the transitions to and through high school. We offer a suite of resources and connections to other community partners who support high school youth. Through consistent and tailored communications to our High School matches and families, we provide ongoing opportunities such as college application and preparation support, college tours, and corporate behind-the-scenes visits. We continuously solicit feedback from high school Littles and their Bigs and families as part of our ongoing evaluation and assessment of Big Futures to ensure our programming is meeting the needs of the high school students in our program. In 2024, we served more than 554 high school students with our Big Futures activities and resources. We are very proud of the outcomes the young people we served in 2024 were able to achieve, at school and in the community: 98% of high school seniors in our program graduated on time 98% of our Littles avoided involvement in the juvenile justice system 99% of our Littles were promoted to the next grade level on time 88% of our Littles maintained or improved academic performance/school grades 86% of our Littles reported decreased or no depressive symptoms 90% of our Littles maintained or improved emotional regulation 94% of our Littles avoided risky behaviors and school discipline events 94% of graduating seniors reported post-graduation plans that align with the Four Es outcome measures: Enrollment Employment Entrepreneurship EnlistmentGeographiesNot indicatedDatesJan 1, 2024 – Dec 31, 2024Source990No causes providedNo populations provided–$2.4MBeyond School Walls Mentoring
Beyond School Walls workplace mentoring program:In our Beyond School Walls workplace mentoring program, high school students (Littles) are matched with corporate volunteers (Bigs) in 1:1 mentoring relationships. Matches meet as a group for two hours/month at the mentor's workplace and engage in sessions facilitated by BBBSMA staff. The curriculum focuses on career and college readiness, along with relational skill development. Sessions allow a Big and Little to participate in a shared activity while building relationship and conversation. Each year of the curriculum correlates to the next, but is designed so that a Little can enter the program at any year within the cycle. This allows us to continue engaging the Littles throughout all four years of their high school career and as part of a cohort. Mentoring relationships are created and supported adhering to the same evidence-based best practices as those in our traditional 1:1 mentoring program.In the 2023-2024 school year, we served 233 high school littles through six Beyond School Walls partnerships -- Children's Healthcare of Atlanta and North Atlanta High School; NCR Voyix and Booker T. Washington High School; Google, Inc. and Benjamin Mays High School; UPS and Therrell High School; Cox Enterprises and Chamblee High School and Insight Global and Cross Keys High School.GeographiesNot indicatedDatesJan 1, 2024 – Dec 31, 2024Source990No causes providedNo populations provided–$589.9K
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