THE CHALLENGE
Develop a measurement and data use plan to support growth of a new mentoring program.

THE RESULT
A rock-solid vision for data use and a skilled staff full of shared commitment and vision.

EMPOWERING MENTORS THROUGH RIGOROUS PROGRAM DESIGN
Helping Big Brothers Big Sisters strengthen a program for high school & post-secondary youth

There’s a lot of excitement in the education sector about the need to equip students with non-cognitive skills such as perseverance, critical thinking, self-advocacy, as well as knowledge regarding college applications and career pathways. But that’s easier said than done. Significant changes are needed to move from a decades-old model towards creating new ways to empower students.

Knowing this, Big Brothers, Big Sisters of Colorado (BBBSC) partnered with ResultsLab to strengthen its recently launched mentor2.0 program, a four-year track that harnesses the power of a research-based curriculum and long-term, personal relationships with mentors.

REFINED PROGRAM DESIGN & A CLEAR THEORY OF CHANGE

Over the course of six months, we coached BBBSC through a reflective, capacity-building process to examine the mentor2.0 program model and develop a measurement strategy to help them reach the organization’s goals. From the outset, BBBSC was well-positioned to engage in capacity building around measurement for learning, which further magnified the effect of the ResultsLab approach.

VP of Programs Sandy Karr explained, “I have all of this information in my head, trying to figure out how it fits together. Working with a reputable external partner is necessary to better reflect on what we need to focus on, and to understand what our strengths are. ResultsLab really helps with that.”

We engaged the entire team to build on this solid foundation while gaining clarity on their program strategy, including who they serve and what mentor2.0’s intended impact would be. A clear plan to activate data and tighten their measurement approach were also important pieces of the puzzle.

RESULTS

Thanks to a rigorous, targeted measurement plan, clear metrics and data collection tools, and the buy-in of staff at various levels, a refined version of mentor2.0 launched in 2018, expanding into two additional schools in Colorado to date.

Big Brothers Big Sisters of Colorado’s next goal for the program is to continue expansion while considering thorough study of the program results—and we’re prepared to support them with research into the data their investors need in order to support the future of mentor2.0.

Would you like your organization to be as data-driven as possible?