Sarah and Joyce: I am who I am because of you!

Casey Gwinn is the visionary behind the Family Justice Center movement, the rapidly developing, international approach of co-locating services for victims of domestic violence, sexual assault, and stalking. Family Justice Centers bring together police officers, prosecutors, advocates, doctors, nurses, therapists, and other professionals — all under one roof — to support victims and their children. As a former City Attorney of San Diego and Founder of the San Diego Family Justice Center, Mr. Gwinn has been widely credited with the 90 percent drop in domestic violence homicides in the city of San Diego. He is also the Founder and current President of Alliance for HOPE International, a nonprofit organization dedicated to creating systems and social change. With a number of critical programs, the organization promotes collaborative, trauma-informed approaches for meeting the needs of survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault and their children. One of these is Camp HOPE America, the first evidence-based camping and mentoring program for on children exposed to domestic violence. Join us as we discuss how he came to the science behind Hope, why Hope is a verb, and how Hope can and should be taught to ALL kids!

Scott is an Evansville native and graduated from Mater Dei High School in 2006. Growing up a competitive water skier, that same drive he had on the water carried led him to become the owner of several businesses, including Barker Brewhouse. Scott has been matched with his Little Mario since July of 2021. Recently Scott was awarded the 2024 BIG Of The Year. HERE is his award video! Join Scott and I as we discuss what led Scott to become a Big and why others, especially men, should join the BBBS family.

Scott A. Galeski is an award winning independent filmmaker and a retired police detective from Downriver Detroit Michigan. During his 25 year law enforcement career, he served as a lead investigator of Crimes Against Children, Violent Crimes, Arson, Crisis Negotiator and was SWAT certified. In addition, Galeski worked 5 years in the underbelly of Detroit as an undercover operative. Another hat he has worn is a coach & mentor to at risk and disadvantaged youth through the many teams and programs he has developed since 1980. In 2016 he founded the Downriver Detroit Student Film Consortium made up of a diverse group of students from Detroit and Downriver area high schools. In fact, in 2013 he received the "Call To Service Award" presented by President Barack Obama for his dedication and service to the Downriver Community.

Audubon Kids Zone, in Henderson, Kentucky, seeks to break the cycle of poverty by focusing on the next generation with educational and social support structures that provide opportunities for disadvantaged youth. Join Ryan and their Executive Director, Kacee Campbell, as they discuss the story/purpose or AKZ and why a BBBS/AKZ partnership just makes sense! Find AKZ or BBBSSWI online and consider donating $5/month to both!

Michael J. Karcher, Ed.D., Ph.D., Professor of Education and Human Development, is the School Counseling Training Program Coordinator at the University of Texas at San Antonio.     Dr. Karcher holds doctorates in Human Development (Harvard) & Counseling Psychology (UT).  He studies school-based mentoring (Study of Mentoring in the Learning Environment, www.utsasmile.org), cross-age peer mentoring, adolescent connectedness, and pair counseling.     He co-edited both the Handbook of Youth Mentoring (with David DuBois, 2005, 2013) and a special issue on structure in mentoring (with Michael Nakkula, 2010), and has collaboratively studied school-based mentoring with Carla Herrera for several years. Join us as we discuss relational vs transactional mentoring along with best practices within the world of mentoring!!

Rob knows a thing or two about the need for workplace mentoring involving our kids. Listen as he and I discuss programs he has seen and why the need is greater than ever to connect our kids' present to their future! Rob O’Brian, CEcD has nearly forty years in local and regional economic development. During his more than 20-year tenure as president of the Joplin (MO) Area Chamber of Commerce, he led the development of the largest business park in Southwest Missouri, created a small business innovation incubator, and collaborated with the local community college and Workforce Investment Board to establish an advanced manufacturing training center. Rob also developed a seven-county economic development partnership, including counties in the adjoining states of Kansas and Oklahoma. Rob was also instrumental in the effort to bring a new 600-student medical college to Joplin, the first new medical school in Missouri in more than fifty years!

Sarah and Joyce were the first Spencer County match for Big Brothers Big Sisters of Southwestern Indiana back in 2000! Join the 3 of us as we discuss how life was like when their match began, their favorite memories and how BBBS changed their lives. Be prepared to get emotional!

Matthew is a current Big with us at Big Brothers Big Sisters of Southwestern Indiana. As a retired military man, his brings a strong sense of purpose for improving the community in which he lives with his wife and children. Join us as Matthew discusses why he chose to be a Big, what that typically looks like and why others should join our ranks as a defender of potential!

DJ Quinn is a two-time Big Brother / Big Sisters volunteer, having been matched from 1980-1984 with a Little Brother in Minneapolis, Minnesota. He currently assists with mentor programs in the Pierce County Juvenile Court system. His honest and humorous writing style was developed in previous editing and writing jobs for airline labor unions, lifestyle magazines, and real estate advertising. Quinn retired in January 2023 from a 16-year career as a Real Estate Broker. Prior to his real estate career, he worked as a flight attendant for Northwest Airlines from 1979 to 2005, flying both domestic and international routes from the Minneapolis and Seattle crew bases. The second oldest of nine-children raised in Helena, Montana, he currently resides in Gig Harbor, Washington.

What if I told you there is a crisis right with our boys? What if I told you that our boys aren't doing well?? Join Hal and I as we discuss an issue that noone is talking about: the boy crisis! After spending over 2 decades in the classroom, Hal Bowman has been crisscrossing the United States, helping tens of thousands of teachers and school leaders understand and shift classroom and campus culture. His work around school culture and its importance in creating the most effective environment for student success and teacher retention is unmatched.  Hal’s programs include Teach Like A Rock Star, Be The One, Change a Kid’s Life, and Culture Shock. Due in part to Hal’s masterful delivery and the programs’ next-generation, envelope-pushing content, these research-based events for educators, administrators, and students have remained highly sought after by schools and districts across the country for over 15 years.  Hal is also the founder of Men in Education - a private Facebook group that empowers men in education with support, personal growth, professional development, and community. Additionally, his books, Dear Teacher: 100 Days of Inspirational Quotes and Anecdotes and Thank You, Teacher are #1 best sellers and available everywhere books are sold.  Connect with Hal online at HalBowman.com or on social media @HalBowman on all platforms.