BLAST History

In 1998-1999, Beverly O'Neill, the Mayor of the City of Long Beach, appointed Jean Egan (BLAST Founder and Board President) chair of the Education and Youth Task Force for the City of Long Beach Strategic Plan 2010.

The committee did outreach in the community, talking to community leaders, parents, educators, and concerned citizens about the future of youth services in Long Beach. Several topics continually re-appeared in these discussions including:
          - increasing after school programming
          - increasing mentoring
          - finding ways to get college students involved in the community

During her time on the task force, Jean was introduced to the Collaborate After School Project (CASP) at UC Irvine. Through them, she learned more about after school programming, and was connected with after school program providers in Long Beach. David Dowell, who was in the administration of CSULB, was also a part of the Education and Youth Task Force. He helped Jean make connections on campus, with the Outreach Office, Interships Office, and Student Life.

Jean became involved with research for a pre-planning grant given to the Long Beach YMCA. Through her research she developed the concept for BLAST - pairing mentors (college students and community members) with children in after school programs.

In September 2000, the BLAST Program started under the umbrella of the South Coast Ecumenical Council. Jean acted as the full-time Executive Director. During that first semester, BLAST recruited students through the Intra-Fraternal Council, Panhellenic, and other CSULB clubs, placing 12 volunteer mentors in after school programs.

During the 2000-2001 academic year, BLAST grew quickly.

Additional staff were hired, including a Director of Programs and Evaluation and a Volunteer Coordinator.
In the Spring 2001 semester, with the help of the CSULB Service Learning Center, BLAST had over 100 volunteers in the field, including a small group of adult volunteers from the community.
BLAST was approved for funding by several large foundations in the Southern California area, including the Earl B. and Loraine H. Miller Fundation and the Josephine S. Gumbiner Foundation.
In May 2001, BLAST was granted our own non-profit status.

In 2004, BLAST continued its growth and began focusing on training and placing college student mentors to work with at-risk youth. In September, BLAST opened its first part-time after school programs at two sites in Long Beach.

By September 2006, the Northpointe After School Program became our first and only full-service after school program serving the housing community. Also in 2006, BLAST began its High School Mentoring Program and became the County of Los Angeles' 4th District subcontractor for the Operation Read Program.

To date, BLAST has placed over 3,000 mentors who have served more than 4,000 children at approximately 40 after school and in-school programs in the greater Long Beach area. See our statistics below.