High-Dosage Tutoring Takes the Lead at Think Together 

A smiling student sits at a classroom desk holding a marker and whiteboard during a word activity.

Think Together is continuing to change the odds for kids by implementing high-dosage tutoring in key districts in California to ensure students have the math and reading skills to succeed in school.

By aligning to grade-level standards, our high-dosage tutoring aims to accelerate student learning by as much as a year and a half for every four months that students are in the tutoring program. Think Together’s innovations and partnerships team works diligently to ensure our district partnerships and program curriculum are working hand-in-hand with students’ needs.

“There’s plenty of research that indicates when students only get remedial instruction, they’re never going to catch up,” said Think Together’s Senior Director of Program Innovations, Dianne Chaves. “So, one of the important things about our high-dosage tutoring is that it is aligned to grade level standards and it’s accelerating students towards standard mastery.”

With over 25 years of operational experience in partnership with schools, Think Together has the proven ability to set up successful and result-driven programs. We monitor student enrollment, attendance, and collect data of student progress, which is shared with our district partners, students’ families, and most importantly, with students themselves.

“The more that we set goals with students, share their results and celebrate their progress, the more that we find that students are motivated and inspired to continue to make gains and accelerate towards standards mastery,” Dianne said.

To provide continued support to our students, our program is accentuated with extensive specialized support for tutors that aligns with school partner goals. Think Together provides the training, curriculum, and ongoing support to best equip our tutors with the necessary skills to make significant impact towards student success.

Think Together is always working towards providing the most impactful programs for students and we are honored to partner with school districts to continue closing the opportunity gap.

Watch this YouTube video to learn more about what Think Together’s high-dosage tutoring is all about.

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With more than 17 years of experience working with children and six years with Think Together, Joana Lafuente has the right tools to make an impact on students in our General Childcare and Development (CCTR) Early Learning Program. This program grew out of necessity due to the pandemic and now Joana is leading the charge along with coaching, mentoring and supporting our partners with consistent and quality educational learning.  We are excited to give you the opportunity to learn more about Joana! 
What is your Think Together “why?” What inspired you to work at Think Together and what continues to inspire your work here. 

Our mission of changing the odds for kids is always my inspiration. It has been my passion to work with children and the reason I have been doing it for 17 years. My journey in this world is to make an impact on children, families, and educational partners. The programs we offer are created with not only children in mind, but the families are involved, too. This is why I love what I do.

What is CCTR and how does it operate?

CCTR is a family childcare home education network. Our program consists of three components: Our partner, the family childcare providers, and licensed homes. Our education specialists meet with the providers monthly to be able to coach, mentor, and support our partners in providing consistent quality programs. The education specialists work hand in hand with the family childcare providers and families to gather observations to determine the child’s developmental level at the start of the program, the six-month mark and at the end of the program.  Families must apply and are approved based on eligibility and need according to priority. Our children are placed with providers that the families get to choose, and each provider follows their home routine. 

Is there a student story that connects you to your “why?”

Early learning has become more of a focus after the pandemic and there are many programs that our families and children appreciate. Programs like CCTR, family childcare providers, and other child development centers were able to stay open during the pandemic which was essential to keeping students on the right educational path. The family testimonial below is part of my “why,” being able to provide quality services to families in need

“I immigrated from Colombia, after coming across Think Together services I was able to enroll my child in the CCTR program. The first week was so hard for me and my daughter as I had to leave her in a childcare program. After the first week I told myself I was going to stop working and not take my child anymore to childcare as I kept questioning myself if I was doing the right thing. I spoke to my family childcare provider, and she assured me that my daughter was doing good and if there was any concern, she will call me to let me know. I can say that my daughter now cries when I pick her up because she does not want to come home with me. This speaks to how safe my child feels being in childcare and brings me peace of mind to know she is being cared for while I go to work.”

Chavely Naranjo CCTR mom

What is something you wish more people knew about early learning programs?

Early learning paves the way for learning at school and throughout life. What children learn in their first few years of life – and how they learn it – can have long-lasting effects on their success and health as children, teens, and adults. I am an advocate for early learning and hope to inspire others as well. #ECEAdvocacy

What is a mantra, affirmation, or quote that has helped you over the years? Why?

Live with intention, be bold in the face of adversity, and live the life you were destined for.

I have this quote on my desk, and it has followed me throughout my career. It speaks to me because it reminds me to be genuine in what I do, and my life is what I want it to be.

What are your professional goals or resolution for the new year?

 My professional goal is to grow my team in CCTR and to continue to provide quality and intentional support. A resolution for this new year is to continue investing in myself to be able to continue to provide support and be an exemplary leader to my team, providers, partners, families, and children.

Outside of work, what do you do for fun?  

I am a homebody. I love to just be home and spend time with my kids and husband. I also love to go to Disneyland. This year I plan on traveling more and visiting more places outside of my county. I want to go on a cruise, or maybe two!

As the season of giving continues in full force, Think Together’s Shalimar Learning Center is embracing it with open arms and creating joyous memories for our students! Being the place where Think Together started, Shalimar is always in motion, especially during the holidays, giving back to students and the community. This year they had an eventful holiday season where they hosted various events in collaboration with other organizations such as You Run This Town OC and the National Charity League Newport Chapter.

Here’s a recap of everything Shalimar was up to this holiday season!

Christmas Tree Distribution with You Run This Town OC Organization
Woman smiling and standing next to a green Christmas tree outside a home at night.

Every year our Shalimar Center puts together their annual Christmas tree distribution event, which are gifted by the You Run This Town OC (YRTTOC) organization with the help of the Tesoro Titan Baseball League.

Think Together has partnered with YRTTOC for nearly seven years to gift trees to the Shalimar community. This year over 40 Christmas trees were donated.

YRTTOC also provides life skills and workforce readiness workshops to Shalimar teens that teach them about financial literacy and help them build their resumes. They currently have around 12 to 15 students who are constantly engaged in the lessons.

Director and college advising mentor for YRTTOC, Jacquie Schaefgen, explained how she helps guide students’ futures.

“I believe in equal access to opportunity, and I feel like giving kids opportunities can be great, so I like to be a part of that,” Jacquie said. “These are life lessons that maybe we don’t all get at the same time. I teach the financial literacy here, which I instill into the kids in terms of their ability that they have more control than they think over their futures.”

Thrifting for the Holiday Season with the National Charity League

Shalimar students enjoyed an evening of thrift shopping, at the National Charity League Newport Chapter’s Ticktocker Thrift Shop in Costa Mesa. Students got to shop around the store and select three items to gift to a family member or friend.

The shopping experience is a special treat for students who showcased good attendance, participation and behavior throughout the year. The NCL has been partnering with Think Together’s Shalimar Learning Center for over eight years to put together events like these, which always bring bright smiles to students’ faces during the holiday season.

In addition to shopping in the store, students decorated sugar cookies and wrapped their gifts in holiday bags. The NCL staff also gifted them with holiday socks and pajamas to add to their gift bag.

“The program is so important for the kids because it keeps them motivated and at the same time, they can participate in events like these where they don’t miss out on Christmas traditions,” said a parent from Shalimar. “The kids get excited to attend class and these events.”

Smiling young girl in a red shirt holding clothes on hangers inside a store.
Tamale Feast with Santa Claus
Group celebrating Christmas with Santa, elves, and a decorated tree.

Shalimar’s Parent Advisory hosted it’s second annual Santa Claus event. This year students and their families got to enjoy delicious tamales with none other than Santa Claus himself! Last year the Shalimar Learning Center enjoyed cookies with Santa and due to its huge success, it made a return this year as well.

The tamale feast is graciously provided by Leticia Ortiz, a mother on the Parent Advisory, who owns a catering business. She’s well known in the community for her food and the Shalimar Learning Center expresses great appreciation for having her cater most of their community events.

Besides enjoying delicious tamales, families also get the chance to dress up and take a family photo with Santa Claus. The students of course, are always excited to meet Santa and spend time with their friends and families for the holiday season.

Holiday gift bags were given out to students, which were donated and put together by Pac Life, a long-time champion for Think Together, during a volunteer event. This year they donated over $50,000 for several enrichment kit building volunteer events.

“Our community events are important because it is an opportunity for our center and staff to interact with the entire community and not just our program families,” said Shalimar’s Family and Community Center Coordinator, Melissa Arambula. “It is a way for us to show that our center is a safe space for everyone and a way for us all to connect.”

MVE + Partners, Inc. and AO Architects Holiday Angel Trees

Every year, MVE + Partners, Inc. (MVE) and AO Architects organize a holiday gift drive for the students at the Shalimar Teen and Learning Center. MVE has been part of the holiday drive for six years and AO Architects has been a Think Together partner for three years.

Both companies have angel trees at their offices for employees to choose a student’s tag from the tree and gift them something from their list.

Many of these holiday gifts are made possible by Think Together alumni, Paolo Leon, who attended Shalimar during his youth. He has worked at both companies and has been a prominent champion for expanded learning by sitting on the board of directors and Friends of Shalimar Commitee for Think Together.

It was truly a magical holiday season of giving at Think Together’s Shalimar Learning Center as it always is! We are always working toward creating lasting memories and bright futures.

One of our next steps to support the students at Shalimar is to raise funds for a laptop cart so students have better and consistent access to online curriculum. Your support can make a meaningful impact! Please consider donating to help us continue to change the odds for kids and make a difference in our California youth. Follow the link to donate today.

A small decorated Christmas tree is surrounded by wrapped presents and holiday notes in an office setting.

Think Together students’ spirits were made bright this holiday season through gift drives and volunteer kit builds made possible by Kaiser Permanente, Ontario Clippers, and Cisco.  

Kaiser Permanente Spreads Holiday Cheer with Gifts for Think Together Students 
A young boy proudly holds a gift in a library decorated for the holidays, surrounded by smiling adults.

Kaiser Permanente Riverside Service Area employees, physicians, volunteers, and contracted business partners formed 78 teams across Riverside County to collect more than 2,000 toys and teen gifts for Think Together students. This is the second year Kaiser Permanente and Think Together collaborated to treat students in the area with holiday gifts and the 11th year Kaiser Permanente Riverside Service Area has hosted the holiday drive.  

Think Together and Kaiser Permanente have worked together for more than 10 years on such initiatives as trauma informed care training for staff, Workforce Readiness Education Programs and backpack drives in the fall. 

Clippers Host a Slam Dunk Christmas in Ontario 

Think Together and the Ontario Clippers have partnered for a third year to host a toy drive for an excited group of 472 students at Corona Elementary School. Coaches, players, and other Clippers staff helped pass out Clippers branded tote bags full of the toys each student picked out. The students’ excitement and eagerness to meet the players and receive their gift bags was the highlight of the event for all in attendance. 

Think Together and the Ontario Clippers have been partners since 2021 and have collaborated to increase students access to literacy, STEM and workforce readiness programs. In the winter of 2021, The Clippers and Think Together passed out STEM Kits and Clippers swag to students at Ontario Center Elementary School. Think Together partnered again with the Ontario Clippers in the spring of 2022 for a two-week reading program, in which students were awarded a Clippers hat or t-shirt for reading one book, and Clipper’s game tickets if they read two.  

Cheers to Our Cisco Volunteers! 
A group of colleagues stands smiling with boxes of gift bags during a Think Together volunteer event.

New partner, Cisco, joins the team as the most recent partner to participate in a kit-building volunteer event. 25 volunteers assembled 1,000 holiday-themed kits that will be distributed to Bay Area students.

This is on top of $50,000 that was awarded to Think Together to implement Systematic Instruction in Phonological Awareness, Phonics, and Sight Words (SIPPS) training for staff. This training will benefit TK through second-grade students in Alum Rock Union School District, and is intergraded into Think Together’s early learning and kinder academies located in the Bay Area. 

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With more than 14 years of experience filled with traditions, memories, and students, Elizabeth Portugal goes above and beyond when it comes to being the site coordinator at Bassett High School. Elizabeth is dedicated to building trust with students and offering them a support system to succeed. She is described as humble, determined and selfless and has worked hard to make a change in so many lives. We are excited to give you the opportunity to learn more about Elizabeth!
What inspired you to work at Think Together and what continues to inspire your work here?

What inspires my work is the students and the ability to expand their horizons. I always try to teach my students new things by planning field trips to new and fun spots. My passion is to build daily consistency for youth. I have been in Bassett Unified School District my whole Think career and have built long-lasting relationships with my peers, parents, students and school staff. I want to be their biggest cheerleader, rooting for them to accomplish anything they put their mind to. I love my job and I love what I do!  

What is one of your favorite traditions you have with your students or staff?

I can’t pick one! One of my first and favorite traditions is celebrating student and staff birthdays each month. I love to celebrate my birthday, so I make sure others feel special on their day. Birthdays at Basset are usually celebrated with cake or cupcakes and a Happy Birthday sing-along.

Another favorite tradition is my holiday treat bags. All my staff get them, including the night custodians. They deserve recognition for the hard work they do. I fill the bags with treats and a handwritten thank you note to show my appreciation for all their help.

My last favorite tradition is my annual end-of-the-year awards. Each older youth leader gets an award and I give one special staff member the Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson award. This award is given to the staff member who was my rock and helped me get through the year!

Is there a student story that has stuck with you?                                                                                       

I have over a decade of stories that have stuck with me. If I had to choose one, it would be the sibling duo I connected with when I was the site coordinator at Torch Middle School in Basset. Their time at Think Together was challenging. I worked closely with their aunt to keep them engaged in the program. They graduated middle school and started at Bassett High School around the same time I became their site coordinator.

During this time, I reminded them that they are always welcome in my program. I ended up working closely with the sister during Think Together’s after-school program and we were able to help her catch up on her credits. She graduated in 2016 and I was able to sit on the field cheering her on! Both siblings came up to me afterward and thanked me for never giving up on them and keeping them in the program. It was the first time I ever got a thank you from my students and it was the best feeling in the world!

Running a program for over a decade is not easy. What is a mantra, affirmation, or quote that has helped you over the years?

The first thing that comes to mind is two sayings that I meshed to create my own. I always try to remember to “leave my problems at the door because I am the best part of someone’s day.” I know everyone has a lot going on, but our job as educators is to not to let that affect the students and their learning. I try to remind myself and my staff that we are the students’ support, and our mission is to make them feel welcome and help them succeed.

As we approach winter break, what is one of your favorite memories of the past school semester?

Last year, my older youth leaders and student leaders hosted our very first holiday dinner. First time events can always be hit or miss but we had about 48 students attend. We all enjoyed tamales, rice, beans, dessert and drinks. My favorite part was all of us sitting around like a huge family listening to holiday music, sharing holiday traditions and creating new friendships. I can’t wait to host this event again this year!

 What advice would you give yourself when you started at Think Together 14 years ago?

I would tell myself that there will be challenging times, but the students will appreciate the support and knowledge you give them. I would also tell myself not to worry about this new opportunity because you will enjoy your work and make lasting connections. One of the best parts of my career is that my coworkers have turned into my family.

Outside of work, what do you do for fun?  

Outside of work, my main hobbies are spending time with family, friends and trying new foods. I combine all three every month with my four godchildren. They take turns picking out a new dinner spot to try that month.

I am a huge baseball and football fan as well, so I am always repping either the Dodgers or the San Francisco 49ers.

I also have a deep love for traveling and recently went to Cabo San Lucas and tried parasailing. If you have never tried it, you must try it at least once!

Thanks to our generous corporate and foundation partners, Think Together is enhancing our innovative STEM programs and engaging elementary and middle school students in hands-on, experiential STEM learning. Studies show that STEM careers are on the rise and computing jobs are one of the top sources of income in the nation. In California, the average salary for a computing occupation is twice that of the overall state average. This is why it’s crucial to integrate robust STEM-focused curriculum and manipulatives into Think Together’s daily programming.

New Think Together partner, Ross Stores Foundation provided a generous grant of $30,000 to purchase robotics kits and coding curriculum serving over 1,000 students in Perris Elementary School District. Ross’ mission aligns with Think Together’s mission of helping close the equity gap in education for kids in underserved communities. Ross supports organizations that help strengthen communities and create a brighter future for today’s youth by advancing academic achievements and helping youth establish life skills.

“We are proud to invest in Think Together and its innovative approach that equips youth with crucial workforce skills that prepares them for future careers,” said Leslie Oestreicher, Deputy Director, Ross Stores Foundation.

Broadcom Inc. continues to donate high quality, refurbished laptops to support our coding and robotics after school STEM programs, with their most recent in-kind donation valued at over $100,000. Through our partnership with the Broadcom Foundation, Think Together students are learning basic coding that they need to compete for highly skilled jobs in emerging industries built on technologies of the future.

Their support has had a tremendous impact on Think Together students across the state, reaching over 150,000 students from kindergarten to their senior year and beyond.  Think Together’s Coding For All initiative is made possible thanks to both Broadcom and Broadcom Foundation’s steadfast partnership in preparing California students for the technology workforce.

“Sharing the power of STEM with under-resourced and underrepresented students in California creates multiple education pathways and provide optimal project-based learning time for coding, a foundational skill they need for STEM education and workforce readiness,” shared Paula Golden, President, Broadcom Foundation. “Broadcom Inc.’s unwavering commitment to afterschool STEM and coding provides students with a unique opportunity to explore multiple STEM career pathways, including trade schools, community colleges, universities, and apprenticeships.”

A partner since 2004, Southern California Edison invested $30,000 towards coding curriculum and robotics kits that support hands-on, minds-on STEM experiences for over 900 middle school students in the Inland Empire. Think Together offers three 10-week rotations of coding, robotics, and investigative science. Students are learning about engineering design by building robots and are developing critical thinking and problem-solving skills through conducting a variety of programming experiments.

San Manuel Band of Mission Indians, also based in the Inland Empire, awarded Think Together with $25,000 for coding programs supporting more than 1,200 students across 24 elementary and middle schools in Rialto Unified School District. San Manuel Band of Mission Indians has been a longstanding partner of Think Together’s expanded learning programs in Rialto Unified, launching our reading and literacy programs in 2011 and our coding programs in 2021.

In Think Together’s Orange County region, Fluor Corporation is stepping up to support four schools with STEM programming with a $10,000 grant. More than 400 students in grades K-8 across Orange Unified, Garden Grove Unified and Santa Ana Unified School Districts will have access to STEM and coding programs. Shalimar Learning Center, Think Together’s origin site, will also receive support from the Fluor grant.

A funding partner for over a decade, Edwards Lifesciences presented a $10,000 grant for the Orange County region that focuses on preparing students for the STEM workforce and STEM careers.

Think Together thanks Ross Stores Foundation, Southern California Edison, San Manuel Band of Mission Indians, Fluor, Edwards Lifesciences, and Broadcom for helping us change the odds and providing exceptional resources and STEM kits to help students explore more potential career opportunities in the STEM industry.

Help keep the STEM momentum going by supporting Think Together’s end-of-year campaign Celebrating Bright Futures. We are looking to raise funds to bring even more dynamic technology to students!

Think Together will strengthen leadership and technology capabilities, driving efforts to close the opportunity gap to more than 200,000 California students through expanded learning and school improvement programs.  

Santa Ana, Calif. (Nov. 17, 2023) – Think Together, California’s leading nonprofit provider of school improvement, expanded learning and afterschool programs, announced the appointment of Dave Cummings as Chief Digital Officer (CDO). This new CDO position for Think Together will define, socialize and implement a technology vision for the organization, in order to drive their mission and goals towards education equity in California.    

“The addition of Dave in the CDO role represents a significant step forward in our ability to deploy technology and scale our operations more efficiently,” said Randy Barth, founder and CEO of Think Together. “With his extensive experience in digital and an innovative mindset, he will be instrumental in guiding the organization as it explores the implementation of emerging technologies.” 

Cummings brings more than 30 years of expertise and leadership to Think Together, including international experience in large scale corporations and a track record of driving technology and digitally-led strategic transformation. He also lent his time and talent as an independent director on company boards, including large publicly listed companies, technology startups, and nonprofit organizations, where he provided guidance and mentoring on technology-related matters.  

Dave Cummings, Chief Digital Officer, smiling in a suit and tie against a white background.

“As I retired from corporate life, I knew I still had a lot to offer and wanted to seek something where I could make a difference,” shared Cummings. “I was drawn to Think Together because I’m passionate about dealing with inequities and hold a deep personal alignment with the mission, goals and values of this organization. I want to help our organization scale and develop processes that make us more impactful with our school partners.” 

Think Together is in the midst of a multi-year growth cycle. In fiscal year 2023, the nonprofit grew by more than 70%. Since fiscal year 2021, the organization has tripled in size. With this sustained growth, Think Together continues to recruit purpose-driven talent and has since scaled its workforce to more than 4,000 full- and part-time staff members serving in school site and administrative roles. 

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About Think Together 

For over 25 years Think Together has partnered with schools and communities to pursue educational equity and excellence for all kids. As a nonprofit organization, Think Together innovates, implements, and scales academic solutions that change the odds for hundreds of thousands of California students. Think Together’s program areas include early learning, afterschool, school support services and leadership development for teachers and school administrators. For more information, call (888) 485-THINK or visit www.thinktogether.org.  

Edward Nobles makes learning and growth his number one priority when it comes to being a site coordinator at Magnolia Science Academy 2 Middle School. He continues to think of new ways to improve program quality, culture and student attendance. We are excited to give you the opportunity to learn more about Edward! 
What is your Think Together “why?” What inspired you to work at Think Together and what continues to inspire your work here?

The freedom to be creative is the reason I work at Think Together. I really enjoy working in an afterschool setting. It also provides me with the opportunity to grow professionally as a manager, which makes me love it even more. 

We are past the halfway point of the semester, what do you hope to accomplish by the end of it?

My biggest goal is to boost enrollment across all programs, starting with 100% school enrollment. I am working to have at least 25 families in attendance at one of our events. In December, we are hosting our exciting Magnolia Science Academy 2 sports tournament, and I am collaborating with my team to have 40 students participate. All of my goals center around getting students and parents more involved in our Think Together community.

Gratitude is a popular word this time of year, what are you most thankful for in your career? 

I am most thankful for this opportunity at Think Together. I have the freedom to manage a big team and think creatively. I am developing skills I will be able to take with me throughout my career and in my personal life. In my work, the failures and successes give me the ability to identify how I can evolve to make myself a better manager, collaborator, and role model for students.

What is the best piece of advice you have received that you like to share with others? 

A piece of advice I would give to others is to always take accountability and support your team. We succeed together and we fail together. As a manager, I take full responsibility for my team so when a mistake is made, I treat it as an opportunity for us to learn and grow.

Running a program is not a small feat, is there a mantra or affirmation that keeps you going throughout your day?

Make it a great day!

What experiences are you looking forward to in the next semester? 

Our team is always looking for new ways to excite kids with learning. We are looking forward to creating new workshops and field trips centered around design for all our art lovers. We hope to take a tour of the NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory to see how our STEM lessons come to life and to create memories for the students.

Outside of work, what do you do for fun?  

I enjoy going to new restaurants, to the beach, and watching new movies!

Program expanding to four Inland Empire high schools in Perris, Rialto and Desert Hot Springs, bringing hands-on occupational learning and access to career pathways to 400 students  

Riverside, Calif. (Nov., 2, 2023) Think Together, California’s leading nonprofit provider of afterschool, expanded learning and school improvement programs, is proud to announce it has been awarded a $20,000 grant from Bank of America to provide skills-based workshops, career trainings and paid internships for up to 400 students in the Inland Empire. 

Through its longstanding work with Bank of America, Think Together has provided comprehensive Workforce Readiness and Employment Program (WREP) services for juniors and seniors (ages 16-19) at Perris High School and Heritage High School in Perris, and Eisenhower High School in Rialto. Additional funding from Bank of America for this programing allows Think Together to add Desert Hot Springs High School in the Palm Springs Unified School District as a WREP program provider for the first time under this collaboration. 

“At Think Together, we believe in empowering students to reach their full potential by preparing them for high-skill, high-wage employment,” said Randy Barth, Founder and CEO of Think Together. “With the support of Bank of America, we are thrilled to expand our Workforce Readiness and Employment Program to more Inland Empire students, equipping them with the skills and confidence they need to succeed in their future careers.”

Each school will have the capacity to enroll up to 100 students per high school in Think Together’s WREP program. Students will learn essential job skills like resume building, interview preparation, and workplace conduct. Mock online applications will be facilitated by Think Together’s human capital team, mirroring a real-world employment process. Targeted workshops led by Think Together will provide students with practical training, similar to new employee onboarding.

After four weeks of training, interns will transition into a 10-week paid employment period, committing to two days per week for two-hour shifts. On-campus intern oversight will be managed by Think Together Program Leaders, refining their student engagement and soft skills. Off-campus placements, supervised by site managers and Think WREP Lead, will involve mid-point and end-of-internship assessments, informed by community partner input.

In addition to their paid employment stipend, students receive bus passes, if needed, and program incentives. A Financial Literacy component is also required as part of the program to ensure that student participants are prepared to manage their paychecks responsibly, along with budgeting, credit and savings skills.  After completing Financial Literacy training, interns will receive a program completion award.

“Our collaboration with Think Together is one way Bank of America helps provide access to on-the-job skills training, which is critical for the next generation workforce to be successful,” said Bansree Parikh, president, Bank of America Inland Empire. “We’re excited to support this unique program expanding to more high schools in the region.” 

For more than 20 years, the partnership with Bank of America has enabled Think Together to deliver impactful programs that prepare students for success in higher education and future careers. In addition to funding, Bank of America has been an integral partner, helping to host the annual Inland Empire Workforce Summit alongside Think Together and the Inland Empire Regional Chamber of Commerce. Throughout the pandemic, the bank also stepped up to provide PPE for Think Together staff, students and families. 

Students currently enrolled with Think Together’s programs at Perris High School and Heritage High School in Perris, Eisenhower High School in Rialto and Desert Hot Springs High School in the Coachella Valley can reach out to their older youth leader for more information. Business leaders looking to get involved with Think Together and its WREP programs can visit: www.thinktogether.org/get-involved. 

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About Think Together

Think Together partners with schools and communities to pursue educational equity and excellence for all kids. As a nonprofit organization, Think Together innovates, implements and scales academic solutions that change the odds for hundreds of thousands of California students. Think Together’s program areas include early learning, afterschool, school support services and leadership development for teachers and school administrators. For more information, call (888) 485-THINK or visit www.thinktogether.org.

Virtual event shines with expanded learning champions Senator U.S. Alex Padilla and U.S. Congresswoman Katie Porter, alongside heartwarming testimonials from Think Together parents, staff, and students. 

Santa Ana, Calif. (October 26, 2023) – Think Together, California’s leading nonprofit provider of afterschool, expanded learning and school improvement programs, held its annual Lights On Afterschool virtual event on its YouTube channel on Thursday, Oct. 26. The event themed, Celebrating Bright Futures Ahead, marks the third year Think Together has hosted a virtual statewide celebration.  

The broadcast featured highlights from Think Together’s expanded learning, afterschool and summer programs, as well as impactful testimonials from students, parents, staff and top legislators such as: 

  • U.S. Senator Alex Padilla (D)  
  • U.S Congresswoman Katie Porter (D) Irvine 
  • Senate President pro Tempore Toni G. Atkins (D) San Diego 
  • State Senator Dave Min (D) Orange 
  • State Senator John Laird (D) San Luis Obispo  
  • State Senator Anthony Portantino (D) Pasadena 
  • State Senator Rosilicie Ochoa Bogh (R) Yucaipa 
  • State Senator Dave Cortese (D) San Jose 

In addition to the virtual broadcast, Think Together hosted over 400 school site celebrations across the state in collaboration with schools that have benefited from increased state and federal investments including the formative Expanded Learning Opportunities Program (ELO-P) grants. Celebrations ranged from harvest festivals to STEAM demonstrations, art walks to read-aloud events.  

“ELO-P continues to act as a catalyst for innovation and creativity, allowing educators to experiment with new ideas that engage students in exciting ways,” said Think Together Founder and CEO Randy Barth. “As we look to the future, it’s crucial to recognize that sustaining and expanding the impact of the Expanded Learning Opportunity Programs requires ongoing advocacy and support from all stakeholders.”  

After the devastating effects of the pandemic on children and families, Gov. Gavin Newsom and legislators championed the ELO-P to help support students most impacted by the pandemic. This increased the state investment from roughly $800 million per year to $4.8 billion per year and has accounted for $2,750 more per student toward universal access to expanded learning programs.  

Programs like Think Together provide roughly an additional 540 hours of academic support and enrichment to students annually, in the hours after the school day and during seasonal breaks. Over 900,000 California children rely on afterschool programs for academic support and a secure place to be until their parents can pick them up; Think Together alone supports close to 200,000 of that number.  

“By working together, we can build a brighter and more equitable future for generations to come,” added Barth. “As champions of expanded learning, we can shape legislation and ensure every child is given the same chance in their pursuit of knowledge and personal growth.”  

About Think Together 

Think Together partners with schools and communities to pursue educational equity and excellence for all kids. As a nonprofit organization, Think Together innovates, implements and scales academic solutions that change the odds for hundreds of thousands of California students. Think Together’s program areas include early learning, afterschool, school support services and leadership development for teachers and school administrators. For more information, call (888) 485-THINK or visit www.thinktogether.org 

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