Big Brothers Big Sisters of St. Lucie County, Indian River & Okeechobee Counties Inc.

With solid, research-based programs in place, the Agency is aiming to expand our quality mentoring services. There is a growing need for more mentors due to the significant poverty that exists in this service area. This need is documented by a waiting list of over 100 children. Our Agency aims to fill that gap as every child's future depends on his or her ability to read, write and build strong relationships that will help them achieve success at home, in school and out in the community. Big Brothers Big Sisters works diligently to provide resources that will aid children's growth in social/emotional development, academics, life skills and strength of character. Through our community-based program, we help children with an incarcerated parent to successfully graduate from high school without law enforcement intervention. This is a significant accomplishment as Congressional records show 69.9% of children with an incarcerated parent end up involved in the legal system. Through our school-based reading mentor program, we help children build self-confidence and the 5 basic reading skills (phonics, phonemic awareness, vocabulary, fluency and comprehension) necessary to perform on grade level by the end of 3rd grade. This is critical as children learn to read from Kindergarten through 3rd grade but then read to learn thereafter. Only 2 in 6 who are not reading adequately by the end of 3rd grade move successfully through the K-12 system. The VPK Program focuses on oral language/vocabulary, print knowledge, phonological awareness and social/emotional growth. It was born out of comments that mentors made about the uneven playing field that was evident relative to kids entering Kindergarten--particularly those living in poverty. This highlighted the importance of early childhood education.

Big Brothers Big Sisters has adopted a strategic plan that addresses attainment of organizational goals through diversification of funds, sustainability, succession planning at all levels, board development, an increase in public awareness and program outcomes/accountability. The Board and fund development staff have set goals to increase individual giving by 150% and foundation contributions by 100% by 2017 year-end. Individual funding will be enhanced through a "Moves Management" system. Forty loyal contributors have been identified and are being cultivated through a variety of steps with the end goal of increased individual giving. The Board is continuing to attract Members of influence and affluence in all three counties who can assist in this strategy. One of the existing Board Members has also laid the ground work for two significant matching grants over the past two years. Senior staff and Board continue to update and revise succession plans while providing cross-training at all levels to encourage promotion from within. A new, interactive web site has been launched and the strategic plan calls for the use of a greater variety of social media tools. Program accountability strategies include regular dashboard reporting to the Board on quality metrics and number of students served by program. The VP of Programs completes quality assurance reviews on 5% of the case files each month and rates Case Managers' notes in the process. Program staff hold monthly meetings for peer sharing; quarterly meetings to review individual student progress; semi-annual meetings to prepare for program reporting to funders; and annual impact reports to stakeholders. None of this could be accomplished without strong, collaborative partners that allow Big Brothers Big Sisters to deliver quality services. For example, ALPI, Learning Tree Academy, C.A. Moore, Bridges Early Learning Center, Cradles to Crayons, Indian River Academy and Early Learning Coalition of St. Lucie partner to provide VPK services. Suncoast Mental Health provides pro-bono counseling when needed for individuals and families within our program. Boys & Girls Club of Indian River County shares a van with BBBS, Indian River State College has their elementary education majors mentor and the school districts provide space for mentors and outcomes data.

The Corporate Board of Directors consists of 19 Members who are highly skilled and have diverse backgrounds relative to their profession, age, race, ethnicity, talents, and the community they represent. There are also two Advisory Boards that assist in fundraising, public awareness, program oversight and community outreach. The CEO has been with Big Brothers Big Sisters for over 25 years. She was also a 6-term elected School Board Member. The Chief Operating Officer just celebrated her 10th anniversary with BBBS. Likewise, the V.P. of Programs has been employed by this agency for more than a decade. She is a Licensed Mental Health Counselor and a St. Lucie County School Board Member. A strong Board and staff have consistently helped us achieve each and every outcome the Agency sets.

Currently, Big Brothers Big Sisters continues to respond to community needs by adding relevant programs such as the VPK project to it's already robust program offerings. A highly effective Board, strong collaborative partnerships, high expectations for performance, loyal donors, and long-term relationships with funders allows the Agency to continue it's mission. Further expansion of programming is limited only by access to funding. Currently, there are over 100 children waiting to matched with a mentor. BBBS recently added recruitment and fund development staff in an effort to expand programs in all three counties served.