Robert Goetsch, a former computer industry executive, was frustrated with the lack of skills among job applicants and new hires. Mr. Goetsch mobilized the Education Committee of a Chamber of Commerce and began working with local schools to enhance the skills of students in order for them to be of greater value to business and industry. It became evident that education would not succeed in graduating students adequately prepared for the workforce unless business had a sense of workforce development that included active engagement with education. In September of 1992, Mr. Goetsch formed a non-profit corporation, Students In Business, Inc. (SIB) to do this important work.

SIB initially started out as an entrepreneurial desktop publishing class within a high school in Fremont, California. Following the steam-cleaning of the old metal workshop and supplemented by donations of office furniture from local businesses, 30 students participated during the first year of this class. Mr. Goetsch coordinated the effort with a host of volunteer business people who served as coaches and advisors to the students.

It became apparent after the first year of the program that the students learned the most when they interacted on a one-to-one basis with the local business people who came in to advise the students on their business. At this point, Mr. Goetsch handed over the classroom instruction to the school and led SIB in the direction of mentoring. For this reason, the mission of SIB has evolved into assisting schools and communities in developing sustainable mentoring programs that match students with adults from a variety of cultural and professional backgrounds within structured relationships in an effort to assist students in achieving personal, academic and career exploration goals and developing their full potential as contributing citizens.

The Alameda County Private Industry Council (PIC) assisted SIB in starting mentoring programs in Alameda County. Funding was appropriated to SIB to link approximately 40, 16-21 year-old Job Training Partnership Act (JTPA) youth with successful adults in mentoring programs. Criteria used to determine student eligibility included coming from a single-parent home, either physically or learning disabled, pregnant or a teen parent, high school dropout or economically disadvantaged.

SIB has successfully worked with federally-funded School-to-Work (STW) programs to provide prevention services to at-risk youth. STW programs are collaboratives of K-12 school districts, community colleges and universities, employers, labor organizations, economic development agencies and workforce preparation professionals. Their vision is to connect students, workplaces, schools and the community to ensure that all learners are prepared for responsible citizenship, continuous learning and productive employment in a changing economy. In collaboration with STW programs, SIB implemented mentoring programs for at-risk youth in many school districts. Approximately 100 students and 100 adults have participated in these programs each year for the first several years.

In 1997, SIB began working with students at-risk for gang participation through two separate two-year programs. SIB partnered with community agencies in implementing a Gang Violence Suppression Mentoring Program for middle school students. The students served in this program met 10 criteria developed by the State Anti-Gang Coordinating Committee used to identify youth involved or at-risk of being involved in a gang. Additionally, SIB partnered in an Alcohol/Drug Abuse Prevention Mentoring Program. This program targets students who participate in school Gang Reduction Intervention Programs.

In early February 1999, first Lady Hillary Rodham Clinton and Attorney General Janet Reno announced SIB as one of the nationwide recipients of a Juvenile Mentoring Program (JUMP) grant. This program is funding a mentoring program at a middle school, which will match 135 youth with caring adults from their own community.

In May 1999, SIB and Mediation Services were awarded a Gang Violence Suppression Grant from the Office of Criminal Justice Planning. This program is funding a three-year mentoring program which is supporting matches between thirty students (half the school's population) and mentors, as well as a conflict resolution/mediation skills training program for all sixty students and four faculty.

Through a collaboration with a County Public Health Department and several local youth-oriented agencies, SIB is implementing a mentoring program at an inner-city high school. This three-year program began at the start of the 1999/2000 school year and is serving 30 students.

In June 1999, the California Governor's Office of the Secretary for Education announced several grants to support the local mentoring efforts of SIB within several school districts. The grants were four of a total of sixty awarded statewide and are provided under the Academic Volunteer and Mentor Service Program. Through this program, 800 adults are being matched on a one-to-one basis with youth at risk of failing in school, dropping out or otherwise getting into trouble. The academic component of the program is to assist students in literacy and reading comprehension.

SIB's most recent undertaking is the implementation of an email-mentoring project. Through a partnership with several high-tech corporations, SIB is matching students with employees who connect with the students on-line. The mentors assist their students in becoming more familiar with communicating via email and conducting research on the Internet for classroom projects. Students also increase their knowledge about technical careers and opportunities available.