Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Sun Coast is helping lead a national conversation on youth resilience and mental wellness.
During the 2026 Big Brothers Big Sisters National Conference in Atlanta, CEO Kamala Martinez and Vice President of Programs Jeanie Baik joined resilience expert Tom Klisiewicz, CPTD to present on the successful implementation of the Resilient Youth Program, an evidence-based curriculum developed through Harvard Medical School and the Benson-Henry Institute for Mind Body Medicine at Massachusetts General Hospital.
Their presentation highlighted Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Sun Coast’s role as an early adopter of the program, successfully piloting it across Sarasota and Collier counties and contributing to its adoption by Sarasota County Schools for the 2026–27 school year. The adoption by Sarasota County Schools reflects strong confidence in the effectiveness and long-term sustainability of the Resilient Youth model.
The need for youth resiliency programs has never been greater. Research indicates that American children are experiencing unprecedented levels of stress. Suicide remains the second leading cause of death among youth, and one in five adolescents experiences a diagnosable mental health condition. Anxiety disorders affect approximately 32 percent of youth and can significantly impact daily functioning and academic performance.
Chronic stress has also been shown to disrupt healthy brain development, affecting learning and emotional regulation. Over time, unmanaged stress can contribute to long-term health consequences including depression, substance use disorders, eating disorders, and cardiovascular disease.
In response to these challenges, Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Sun Coast implemented the Resilient Youth Program to equip young people with practical, research-based tools to manage stress and build lifelong resilience.
Last summer, 25 staff members completed specialized training in the curriculum. The program was subsequently launched in Fall 2025 at five agency sites across Collier and Sarasota counties, integrating resiliency education directly into youth mentoring environments.
In the 2025–2026 program year, Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Sun Coast served more than 1,800 youth across its 10-county footprint, including approximately 900 youth in Sarasota County alone. As the 11th largest Big Brothers Big Sisters agency in the United States, the organization continues to expand its impact through innovative, evidence-based programming designed to meet the evolving needs of young people.
The Resilient Youth curriculum helps participants understand when stress becomes harmful by identifying personal stress triggers, and develop healthy responses. Youth learn how the body’s fight, flight, or freeze response operates and how to intentionally activate the relaxation response through evidence-based techniques.
CEO Kamala Martinez noted the significance of integrating resilience-building into mentoring services at scale.
“Resilience is not an abstract concept—it is a learned skill set that can change the trajectory of a young person’s life,” said Martinez. “By embedding evidence-based tools into our mentoring relationships, we are ensuring that young people have consistent access to strategies that help them manage stress and thrive in school and in life.”
Resilience expert Tom Klisiewicz emphasized the importance of BBBS of the Sun Coast’s implementation model.
“What makes this work so impactful is not only the curriculum itself, but the way Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Sun Coast has integrated it into trusted, caring relationships,” Klisiewicz said. “When young people learn these skills in environments where they feel safe and supported, the outcomes are significantly stronger and more enduring.”
The success of the pilot has generated momentum across the region. In Summer 2026, Sarasota County Schools began training high school health and physical education teachers in the Resilient Youth certification as part of preparations for full implementation in the 2026–27 school year.
By sharing this work at the National Conference, Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Sun Coast is providing a national model for how mentoring organizations can integrate evidence-based mental wellness programming into youth development systems.
As the organization looks toward expanding the Resilient Youth Program throughout its 10-county footprint, it remains focused on its mission of helping young people realize their full potential by combining the power of mentorship with proven resilience-building practices.