Big Brothers Big Sisters: Igniting Potential, One Match at a Time
Every child holds untapped potential — and sometimes, all it takes is one person to help bring it to life. For over a century, Big Brothers Big Sisters has been doing exactly that. As the nation’s oldest and largest youth mentoring organization, its mission is clear and powerful: to create and support one-to-one mentoring relationships that ignite the power and promise of youth. In San Diego County, that mission takes shape every day through meaningful, long-term connections between mentors (“Bigs”) and young people (“Littles”) — building bridges of trust, confidence, and growth.
120 Years Focused on One Goal: To Empower Youth
Big Brothers Big Sisters of San Diego County serves children ages 7 to 18, with service up to age 21, through one-to-one mentoring designed to meet youth where they are:
- Community Mentoring: Traditional program serving youth from a variety of backgrounds and circumstances facing one or more socioeconomic risk indicators.
- Operation Bigs: A first-of-its-kind program providing mentors to children of military families, including active duty, veteran, and Gold Star families.
- Sports Bigs: Uniting mentors and youth through sports clinics and sporting events, laying the foundation for a healthy active lifestyle.
- Big Couples: Couples mentor as a team, offering double the support and encouragement, providing a unique shared volunteering experience.
- Big Futures: College and workforce preparation workshops and experiences, as well as soft skill development and coaching, open to all teenage Littles, creating a plan for each youth for a path to post-secondary education, living wage employment or enlistment.
BBBS evidence-based mentoring provides relationship-based support that changes lives — building self-esteem, improving educational outcomes, and strengthening families.
Why It Matters
In a world where many young people face systemic barriers, instability, or lack of support, a consistent, caring adult can be life-changing. Research shows that Littles enrolled in Big Brothers Big Sisters programs are more likely to:
- Graduate from high school and attend college
- Avoid risky behaviors
- Reduce the socioeconomic gap
- Build strong, trusting relationships
And for the mentors? The experience is just as transformative.
At TALTalks 2025, we’ll hear how Big Brothers Big Sisters of San Diego County continues to spark potential in the next generation — one match, one moment, and one meaningful relationship at a time.
Because mentorship isn’t just guidance. It’s possibility, personified.
