Big Brothers Big Sisters of Orange County & The Inland Empire
PROGRAMS
Community Based Mentoring
The Community program is our traditional mentoring model and our most flexible, designed for matches who want to form a meaningful one-on-one relationship. In this program, adult mentors (Bigs) are matched with youth ages 6-16 (Littles) and meet up two times per month for low-cost activities out in the community, such as going to a park, talking about life over a slice of pizza, or attending a BBBS-sponsored Match Event. The goal is to provide consistent, positive mentorship that helps Littles build confidence, set goals, and make positive life choices. This program allows matches to choose how and when they spend time together, fostering a natural, long-term bond. Beyond the one-to-one mentoring relationship, Bigs, Littles and families are connected to a Match Support Specialist—who provides ongoing match support to help foster a safe, rewarding, and impactful relationship—and have access to free trainings, match events, peer support groups, community and college/career resources, and more!
2025 Youth Outcome Survey Results for Community-Based Mentees: 1) 98%+ of youth maintained or improved higher educational expectations, particularly a greater likelihood of graduating high school and attending postsecondary education. 2) 87% of youth saw improvements in problem solving, emotional understanding, cooperation, and self-control. 3) 95% reported they are less likely to engage in risky behaviors, including bullying, crime, substance use and misconduct. 4) 70% had fewer excused absences.
High School Bigs School Based Mentoring
High School Bigs is designed for high school students to be trained as mentors to children attending Title I elementary schools identified by teachers and counselors as needing mentoring support. Program staff provide support curriculum targeted towards socio-emotional growth, academic success, and health/wellness. High School Bigs is a free, after-school program and is carried out in partnership with elementary schools, youth mentors from high schools, meeting together in 36 weekly sessions. This is a dual-impact program, as the high school volunteers are trained in leadership and youth advocacy to better address challenges in their community by learning to become mentors. Mentors also receive college and career resources. We currently provide the High School Bigs program within the three counties in 14 school districts and nearly 50 sites.
In 2025, our Youth Outcome Survey results for our High School Bigs Mentees:
88% of Littles maintained or improved their grades
92% reduction in risky behaviors for both Bigs and Littles
85% of students feel more connected to school
75% of students improved attendance
99% of students have higher educational expectations for themselves
Sports Buddies
Sports Buddies is centered around agency-facilitated group outings focused on sports and similar activities. It emphasizes the significance of physical activity for a healthy lifestyle, stress relief and mental health support, and meaningful connections to improve youth development, expose youth to different activities, and provide supportive services. Provides a wide-range of indoor and outdoor activities for underserved youth in Orange County and the Inland Empire, improve mental health for underserved youth, and fosters social cohesion by strengthening the sense of community, breaking down barriers between different age groups and socioeconomic backgrounds. This group mentoring model is designed to reduce waitlists and provide a lower-barrier entry into mentorship. Through sports and active play, it creates meaningful engagement for youth and volunteers while building momentum toward Community-Based Mentoring. Matches typically remain in Sports Buddies for one year, with some allowed a six-month buffer before transitioning into community mentoring.
1) 85%+ attendance rate
Workplace School Based Mentoring
Employees at a participating company become mentors to young adults. Mentees explore academic and career possibilities through exposure to the workforce and business operations. Activities include self-care practices, mock job interviews, and resume-writing workshops. Current and past partners are PIMCO (Women in Finance), Edwards Lifesciences (STEM), OC Fair, St. Joseph's Hospital, Disneyland Resort, Banc of California, Altura Credit Union, Citizens Business Bank, Keenan & Associates, Google, Golden State Foods, JP Morgan Chase, Lamar Advertising, and Ingram Micro.
In 2025:
48% of mentees work part-time and 84% of mentees would consider working full time with their mentor’s employer
93% of mentees feel more prepared for job interviews as a result of the program
93% of mentees have utilized their connections from the program to help with their career development
80% of mentees are continuing their post secondary education after the program concludes
Big Careers
A new post-18 program committed to self-sufficiency and a livable wage for mentees. Professionals mentor young adults 18-25 quarterly on career pathways and preparation. Mentees in the program have access to our in-house College and Career Resource Specialist, who provides scholarship application coaching, one-on-one academic advising, organizes corporate tours and career panels, and provides additional support and resources.
As this program is still in its early stages, we will be collecting impact data over the next year.
CONTACT
Big Brothers Big Sisters of Orange County & The Inland Empire
1801 E. Edinger Ave.
Ste. 101
Santa Ana, CA 92705
Sarah Jauch-French
Phone: 714-426-5628