Community Spotlight: Big Brothers Big Sisters Twin Cities
Providing adolescents with the necessary skills and opportunities to live healthy and meaningful lives has always been a top priority for the HYD-PRC. And building collaborative relationships with community partners like Big Brothers Big Sisters Twin Cities (BBBSTC) helps to further our reach and capacity to provide support, education, training, and resources to youth serving organizations and programs.
Training, Technical Assistance, and Evaluation
The HYD-PRC first partnered with BBBSTC in conducting a program evaluation of their school-based mentoring program from 2011-2014. Since that initial partnership and with the addition of our sexual health training and education program, multiple additional collaborations for training, technical assistance, and evaluation services have focused on their teen pregnancy prevention programming. Associate Professor Barb McMorris, senior evaluators Kara Beckman and Shari Plowman, and Jill Farris, director of sexual health training and education, have worked hand-in-hand with BBBSTC providing consultation for incorporating youth development research into a more tailored program model, improving program evaluation methods, and training for staff and mentors in BBBSTC’s school- and community-based programming. Beckman noted, “Our relationship with BBBS-TC has provided opportunities to collaborate with an organization that is deeply involved in our community and reaches a large group of young people. Working together to hone their programs and then evaluating those programs allows us to stay connected to the evolving needs of young people and the organizations that serve them.”
Programming
Another link between BBBSTC and the HYD-PRC is a recently completed project focused on youth health and wellness, funded by the University of Minnesota, CTSI’s Community Engagement to Advance Research and Community Health program. With this project, Associate Professor Barb McMorris (a Big Sister herself) and senior evaluator Shari Plowman partnered with BBBSTC colleagues to test the feasibility of a pilot program focused on physical activity and healthy eating among Big and Little dyads. The “Fun Match Health Club” aimed to promote sustainable healthy habits by encouraging dyads to take part in more physical activity and healthy eating when spending time together. Every month for a year, BBBSTC offered community-based activities – open gym, cooking classes (which were a favorite), hip-hop classes, hikes, and Ninja Warrior courses – to promote health and wellness among Bigs and Littles. Pre- and post-surveys were administered. Preliminary results suggest that both youth and their mentors enjoyed the programming, and that some misalignment exists between health-related attitudes and behaviors. For instance, although most Bigs and Littles reported caring about being physically active, most dyads do sedentary activities together or activities that require little effort, rather than those that require more vigorous physical activity. “Adult mentors can model and promote physical activity and healthy eating among youth, if programs intentionally encourage these behaviors,” said McMorris.
Building on these projects and others, McMorris, Beckman, Plowman and colleagues are confident that the HYD-PRC will continue to collaborate with BBBSTC to support both youth and their adult role models in our community.