Over 1,500 backpacks donated to Think Together students… now that is newsworthy!

Riverside County Kaiser Permanente physicians and staff are helping 1,568 Think Together students start the new school year strong. Kaiser employees purchased new backpacks and filled them with brand new school supplies like pencils and notebooks to make sure that these students have all the tools for success. The backpack drive was featured on ABC7 and KCAL-TV.

The backpacks will be going to students in Hemet USD, Jurupa USD, Lake Elsinore USD, Moreno Valley USD, Perris Elementary School District, Perris Union High School District, Temecula Valley USD, Val Verde USD and Nuview Union School District. Make sure to follow Think Together to see the students receive their backpacks over the next few weeks!

Think Together is grateful for Riverside County Kaiser Permanente’s generosity and ambition to make students in their local community thrive. Together, we are changing the odds for kids!

Drivers can visit a local Shell station and fill up at the designated fueling pump to support extended learning program, Think Together

SAN FRANCISCO (Aug. 1, 2022) — Au Energy, owner of Loop Neighborhood Marketplace stores, is proud to team up withShell USA (Shell) on The Giving Pump as part of its Force For Good initiative to drive positive change in local communities by giving back. Starting today and running through Oct. 31, a portion of the purchases made by consumers who use the designated pump at its 101 Shell stations across the Bay Area will support extended learning program, Think Together.

The Giving Pump will be specially marked with colorful signage to inspire consumers to fuel up and support this local charity. It’s easy to participate in the program, and it costs customers nothing extra.

“This is something close to the heart of Au Energy shareholders who have wanted to support education in any way we can,” said Pervez Pir, President of Retail at Au Energy. “Even with the vast resources in this state, education still needs help with a very diverse student body with a variety of needs. If we contribute through The Giving Pump and partner with an organization like Think Together that supports improving the lives of low-income and at-risk children by supporting them with education, that’s going to help California overall.”

Think Together offers afterschool, enrichment and early learning programs in partnership with public schools and charters throughout the state. In the Bay Area, Think Together supports 2,292 students across 24 schools in Newark Unified School District, Alum Rock Unified School and San Jose Unified School District. Think Together also offers teacher training and professional development through Orenda Education, a division of Think Together.

“Think Together is proud to work with leaders like Au Energy and Shell who understand the importance of providing equitable education opportunities in our under-resourced communities,” said Think Together Founder and CEO Randy Barth. “These partnerships allow organizations like Think Together to provide academic supports like tutoring, college and career training and early childhood development for the students who need us most.”

Au Energy and Loop Neighborhood Marketplace stores have a long tradition of actively supporting several non-profits in the Bay Area. In addition to educational causes, those that benefit from fundraising efforts include San Francisco Pride, the California Fire Foundation, Bay Area Deputy Sheriff’s Association and its Annual Christmas Shopping event, Bay Area food banks, and RotoCare Bay Area. Over the last three years, over $400,000 went back to organizations making a positive impact in Bay Area communities.

This year, more than 6,500 Shell stations across the US are participating in this three-month Giving Pump initiative to support 527 local charities. Those looking to find a participating station can visit shell.us/givingpump. In 2021, Shell wholesalers and retailers donated over $1.5 million and supported over 400 children’s charities through The Giving Pump.

Visit shell.us/givingpump to find additional program details, participating sites and content on local charity partners. Follow @ShellStationsUS to keep up with the latest news.

ABOUT SHELL

Shell USA, Inc is an affiliate of Shell plc, a global group of energy and petrochemical companies with operations in more than 70 countries. In the U.S., Shell operates in 50 states and employs more than 12,000 people working to help tackle the challenges of the new energy future.

Think Together has had a packed summer full of learning, friendship, fun, and some cool experiences thanks to corporate and foundation partners. This year has been our largest year providing summer programs to students, totaling over 25,000 students participating across the state. Students have been able to go on their first field trips in years, catch up on their learning, and get ready for an equally exciting 2022-23 school year.

Bank of America funds WREP programs in the Inland Empire

Bank of America has been funding Think Together’s Workforce Readiness Education Program (WREP) for the last two decades. Recently, Bank of America has contributed $10,000 to fund WREP for Inland Empire high school students. WREP connects students to internship and career opportunities as they prepare for college and beyond.

Bank of America’s longtime support of Think Together’s WREP programs goes beyond financial contributions. Earlier this year in 2022, Bank of America was a lead sponsor and keynote speaker at our Inland Empire Education and Workforce Summit. The summit had brought together nearly 200 leaders in the public, education, and nonprofit sectors including superintendents, school principals and community leaders.

The event aimed to create cross-collaboration and constructive solutions to ensure students impacted by COVID-19 are equipped with the necessary academic, technical, and soft skills needed to succeed in today’s economy.

Robotics Challenge with PIMCO and Child Creativity Lab

Shalimar students tested their innovation and creativity when they were challenged to make a robot using up-cycled materials. Each student partnered with a PIMCO volunteer, and the teams worked together to use materials to make their unique robot. PIMCO also donated $1000 at the event which was part of their global month of volunteering.

This has been the fifth year that PIMCO and Child Creativity Lab have done this activity with our Shalimar Students. A fun takeaway for the volunteers this year was seeing how students received similar supplies and ended up with very different looking robots. A component of STEM is thinking outside of the box and approaching problems with creative solutions, and these robots were no exception!

Think Together Students are Sporting New Looks Thanks to Adidas

Eleven deserving high school students from our Southeast Los Angeles region were invited to compete in a 5×5 soccer tournament hosted by Adidas. Think Together students received new Adidas soccer jerseys, cleats and gear while participating in skills challenges, drills and more.

The event concluded with athlete appearances, including Eddie Segura of the LA football club, on hand to help deliver a $2,500 donation from Adidas to Think Together. The funds will help Think Together continue its Soccer for Success programs across the LA County area with new equipment.

A Home Run Field Trip with the 66ers

Students in Think Together’s San Bernardino summer program were treated to a field trip to see the Inland Empire 66ers play. Think Together students arrived at the stadium ahead of game time for field practice with the Minor League Baseball team of the California League and the Single-A affiliate of the Angels. To keep with tradition, hot dogs were served for lunch while students cheered on the home team.

College and Career Readiness with the Dodgers

And finally, more than 80 high school students attended the Los Angeles Dodgers Foundation’s College and Career Accelerator.

The Los Angeles Dodgers Foundation partnered with the USC College Advising Corps for college workshops. Students heard from college advisors who shared their diverse educational experiences as first-generation students. The panel included a Q&A and breakout space for students to ask specific questions to the advisers. After the panel, students rooted for the Dodgers from the homestands.

If you are interested in hosting an event or opportunity for students, contact Lawrence Gustafson at [email protected].

As the site leader of a first-year Think Together site, Nathalie Sanchez took the opportunity to quickly make her mark. Nathalie is a site leader in Think Together’s Los Angeles Metro region at Camino Nuevo Charter Academy’s (CNCA) Dalzell Lance High School. Her creative events and clubs provide students with a fun and enriching space after school and provide lots of leadership opportunities for students. With Nathalie’s guidance and creativity, students at CNCA Dalzell Lance High School went from leaving right after the bell rang to looking forward to staying after school with Think Together. We are excited to give you the opportunity to get to know Nathalie!

What inspires you to work at Think Together?

I’m passionate about being an active agent of change. As someone who grew up in the same community I now serve, Think Together gives me the opportunity to be a positive catalyst of change for students whose shoes I once filled.

How do you incorporate student voice and leadership into your program?

I prioritize student success which looks different for every student. I regularly take inventory of each student’s goals and interests through student surveys and curate a program to reflect those interests and help guide the student towards their goals.

Is there a student who you have seen especially thrive this school year?

Because this was the first year back from school closures, I’m especially proud of my seniors who were able to finish the year, cross that stage, and either enter the workforce or pursue their academic careers in college. I am very grateful for the relationships that were built, despite having only met the students this year.

What is the number one piece of advice you give to motivate students?

I let my students know that they are the masters of their own life. Everything you do today can negatively or positively affect you tomorrow, so why not make small positive changes today that will add up to more positive opportunities in the future?

What is your favorite memory from this school year?

As a first-year site, the main challenge was to successfully implement the afterschool culture. At the same time, our community was coming out of quarantine. My favorite memory in the program is when our attendance numbers reached their highest peak mid-year! Afterschool at Dalzell High School became the hangout spot!

On an average day, Think Together has volleyball and ping pong games, music playing, and our cheer girls out practicing their moves.

What is one thing you hope your graduating high school seniors will take with them from Think Together as they move on to college and careers?

I hope my students realize that there are always lots of people supporting them and rooting for their success. I hope they know that anything is possible with the help and support of a village.

What are you most excited to accomplish in the upcoming 2022-2023 school year?

For this upcoming school year, I am looking forward to supporting even more students than this past year. I hope to establish stronger connections with the school admin, grow professionally at Think Together, and as a person to further change the odds for kids.

Outside of work, what do you do for fun?

Outside of work I like to take my dogs to the beach and practice yoga on the weekends as my weekly mindfulness ritual.

Nathalie, thank you for all that you do for our students and for changing the odds for kids!

Think Together’s $2000 Good to Great scholarships are given yearly to outstanding students who, through their hard work, have improved their grades and have ambitious aspirations for college and career. This year the scholarship was given to Abigail, Gabrielle, Marina, Isaac, Erik, Andrea and Kathya.

As they are gearing up for their first year at college, they’ll be meeting their college and career mentors who will support and guide them through the transition. Moving from the highly structured high school environment to the much more independent college experience can be a challenging obstacle for most freshmen. It’s Think Together’s hope that the mentors will give our scholarship recipients the encouragement and insight to make that transition as smooth as possible.

This year’s seven recipients will be attending an impressive lists of schools including University of California, Riverside, California State University, Long Beach, California State University, Los Angeles, California State University, Channel Islands, and University of La Verne.

These seniors were excited to be able to be back on campus after several years of remote or hybrid learning. Most of our scholarship recipients spoke about how the last few years have been incredibly isolating for them. But Think Together provided them with consistency and social interactions that kept them connected with their peers.

“The pandemic secluded me from my peers, which has affected my quality of work and the time that I take to complete it. Think Together has given me the confidence to ask for help and reconnect with the people that I needed to be able to talk to during quarantine with social skills and time management skills,” shared Kathya.

Think Together’s high school programming is very different from our traditionally formatted elementary and middle school afterschool programming. High school programs are drop-in, with clubs, academic tutoring, and college and career support.

“Think Together has not only given me the resources of tutoring, but programs also that prepare me for the workforce, etc. It has become a place where I feel supported and welcomed,” said Marina.

From helping with course credit recovery to college tours, scholarship application assistance, and internships through our Workforce Readiness Education Program (WREP); our high school students are equipped with resources as they look towards the future while also having time to hang out with their friends and participate in a custom-built program that fits the needs of their school campus.

Please join us in congratulating these seniors and their accomplishments and wish them well as they begin their first year of college this fall!

New regional leadership to take the helm of 24 schools and more than 2,000 students.

Santa Ana, Calif. (June 30, 2022) – Think Together, California’s leading nonprofit provider of school improvement, expanded learning and afterschool programs, today announced the promotion of Richard Tran, M. Ed. to General Manager of the organization’s Bay Area region. Tran has more than 16 years of experience in the Expanded Learning space and most recently held the role of Director of Program and Operations in Think Together’s Riverside County region, one of the organization’s largest service areas.

In his new position, Tran will lead a team of nearly 200 site and administrative staff working to support 2,292 students enrolled in afterschool and expanded learning programs across 24 schools in Newark Unified School District, Alum Rock Unified School and San Jose Unified School District. He will also work with private foundations and grantmakers to increase private funding and lead program innovation.

“Richard’s leadership skills have allowed him to quickly rise through the ranks and we’re thrilled to have him head our Bay Area region,” said Think Together Founder and CEO Randy Barth. “With a rich career in expanded learning spanning from program management to curriculum development, community outreach and beyond, Richard is uniquely positioned to oversee Think Together’s Bay Area programs.”

As well as Tran’s appointment, Think Together’s Bay Area region is looking to fill adminstrative and site level roles across the three districts and nearly 2,000 positions throughout the state. Candidates of all experience levels are welcome to apply for roles ranging from summer program leaders to administrative support, IT technicians and early learning education specialists.

Site staff such as program leaders and site coordinators work directly with students in a classroom setting. These jobs offer flexibility with shifts worked typically during the hours after the school day and are ideal for: college students seeking careers in education and social services, semi-retired individuals looking for supplemental income, and parents seeking part-time work flexible to their child’s schedules.

“We’re looking for talented individuals who are passionate about working with students to lead them through creative activities, physical fitness and enriching curriculum,” said Senior Director of Talent Acquisition Holly Perry. “Many of our senior leadsership team members began as site level staff and were promoted from within. Richard is a great example of how someone can find their passion and career path to leadership starting at the community level.”

The hiring spree comes as Think Together prepares for another monumental summer bolstered by a record expanded learning investment of $5 billion by 2025 by the state of California. This is part of an overall $123 billion investment in K-12 systems to address student learning recovery and reimagine education and expanded learning solutions for every student in the state.

In addition to expanded learning programs, Tran will work with Yecenia Cardenas, M. Ed, Executive Director of Early Learning & School Age Programs, to implement plans for expansion of early learning programs in the Bay Area region. Currently, Think Together region offers full-day dual language preschool for children ages 3-4 in Alum Rock Unified with plans to nearly double students served.

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.

Over the last 25 years, Think Together has continuously worked to change the odds for kids. The last few years especially have been full of tremendous growth and evolution of our programs and processes to bring Think Together to the next level.

One area of growth Think Together is especially proud of is the evolution of our LA Metro region where Think Together currently supports 48 schools and approximately 19,552 students. The LA Metro region is one of Think Together’s newer regions, after acquiring these sites when the Youth Policy Institute (YPI) closed their doors suddenly in late 2019.

A Team Effort

When YPI shut down, Think Together was able to onboard over 400 staff members and resume program operations over a span of a weekend. This effort ensured there weren’t any support gaps for students enrolled in programs. Since then, Think Together has been able to bolster program offerings and enhance opportunities for students across Los Angeles and the San Fernando Valley.

This work is not possible without the talent and dedication of Think Together staff members, and the special relationships we foster with supporters like W.M. Keck Foundation, the Ralph M. Parsons Foundation and the Nonprofit Sustainability Initiative (NSI). Together, these foundations have given Think Together the necessary unrestricted dollars to help address and support critical administrative needs.

“Private funding really helps three aspects of our organization, it enriches our program and puts added value elements to our programming, it funds innovation and capacity building and it helps to fund administration,” said Randy Barth, Founder and CEO of Think Together. “Grants like the ones we’ve gotten from W.M. Keck Foundation, the Ralph M. Parsons Foundation and NSI are vital to enable us to meet the needs of our market which ultimately results in better programs and services for students.”

Think Together provides afterschool, expanded learning and additional programs that gets students excited to learn and interested in looking ahead to their future college and career aspirations. Students in our LA Metro region experience coding, robotics, music and podcasting, arts, enrichment, and sports on top of receiving academic support through Think Together.

Watch this video from some of our Los Angeles Metro staff and stakeholders.

If you are an organization or foundation interested in partnering with Think Together please reach out to Lawrence Gustafson at [email protected], or visit https://thinktogether.org/corporate-support/ for more information.

Every year on June 19^th, we commemorate what took place on this date in 1865. On this day, Union soldiers arrived in Galveston, Texas with news the war had ended and that the enslaved were now free, two and half years after President Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation.

Juneteenth, also known as Freedom Day, has been officially celebrated as early as 1866 by the African American communities recently freed from enslavement in Texas. The holiday quickly spread nationwide and has been commemorated annually by African Americans for over 150 years. Early celebrations included the singing of spirituals and prayer meetings. Into the 21^st century, Juneteenth observances grew to include festivals with parades, food, musical performances, family reunions, and rallies to honor African American culture.

Over the month of June, Think Together staff will engage students in lessons about the importance of Juneteenth to our nation, the meaning behind the day, and will then apply their learning by holding celebrations!

What does that curriculum look like?

Think Together’s K-5^th grade students will learn about what the Juneteenth flag symbolizes, decorate the Juneteenth flag, and wave it proudly! Our students will talk about the injustice done to enslaved people in Texas, whose message of emancipation was delayed for over two years. As the students wave their Juneteenth flag, they will be equipped to teach their family and friends about the importance of Freedom Day.

Our 6^th-12^th grade students take a deeper dive into learning about Juneteenth. After watching informative videos, staff and students answer a set of questions together. They ask, “Why are there two Independence Days?” “How does it make you feel that there were over 250,000 enslaved people that received the news that slaves were free 2 ½ years after it actually happened?” and “Why do you think it’s important to acknowledge and celebrate Juneteenth?”

For many staff and students, these are sensitive topics. Alongside learning about Juneteenth’s history, Think Together’s goal is to enhance each student’s ability to understand and manage their emotions. By mindfully monitoring our emotions, we can better move forward to create meaningful change in the world.

Think Together embraces daily curricula that center and celebrate diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging for our students. To commemorate Juneteenth, students and staff at Think Together will encourage respectful dialogue, unlearn implicit bias, and educate ourselves on different perspectives, backgrounds, and cultures. It is equally important to continue these conversations at home to facilitate a growth mindset and encourage continuous learning.

“When we talk about race, we honor our children and teens are as learners. A conversation with a caring adult allows children to feel safe and ask questions instead of drawing conclusions about race and racism based on implicit and explicit messaging from the world around them and their own limited knowledge. Reading is a powerful way to nurture a child’s sense of curiosity and build a foundation for having bigger conversations about race over time.”
– Smithsonian

Try the “Juneteenth Flag” Lesson for K-5^th grade students.

Try the “What is Juneteenth?” Lesson for 6^th-12^th grade students.

Shenelle Hunter became a part of Think Together in the San Bernardino Region about seven years ago, first serving as a Program Leader, then Site Leader, and now Regional Operation Analyst. Wherever she goes, Shenelle is admired for her drive to ensure the San Bernardino Region is successful and is quick to step in anywhere and anytime when support is needed. Shenelle embodies Think Together’s core value of service above self; day in and day out. We are thrilled to give you the opportunity to learn more about Shenelle!

What inspires you to work at Think Together?
My inspiration to work at Think Together is knowing that we are making an impact in the lives of children. Being a positive light in kids’ lives gives me the greatest joy. My “why” is that we are making a difference. Throughout the years, I have seen some of my previous students and they have said, “if it wasn’t for you and your guidance, I would have made some choices that I probably shouldn’t have. So, thank you, Ms. Shenelle.” I am inspired by the smiling faces and knowing that here, at Think Together, we are truly changing the odds for kids.

What is one of your proudest moments/success stories that connect to your “why?”
When I first became a site leader, I had a student who did not always understand my guidance. Sometimes that student would challenge me daily. One day, I said “it’s okay. I’ll be here when you’re ready.” After that, the student came to me and said, “thanks for not giving up on me Ms. Shenelle. I was just having a bad day.” That student graduated high school last year. I happened to see the student and their family right after their drive-through ceremony, and even with my mask on, the mom and the student both knew who I was. They both came up to me and told me “THANK YOU for never giving up.” This will always stay with me.

What one word would you use to sum up your experience working for Think Together?
Rewarding. Changing the odds for the kiddos is a rewarding feeling. When you see the excitement in their faces and how engaged they are throughout the program, I’d say there is no feeling like that!

What are you most proud of accomplishing professionally this year? What were the biggest challenges and successes?
I am proud that I have been able to join the data team. I can see Think Together’s work from a different lens. My biggest challenge was building confidence in myself. My biggest success would be letting go of my fear and doubt. Now, I have been able to own my new role and lead with confidence.

What is one area that you want to grow professionally in 2022?
I want to continue to dive deeper within the data department, learn new things, and continue to grow within the organization. Continuing our mission of changing the odds is most important to me.

Outside of work, what do you do for fun?
I listen to music, go to the beach, and spend time with my family.

Shenelle, thank you for changing the odds for kids with us!

When students come to Think Together, they glean skills that are useful for the rest of their life. Along with robust academic and career-oriented tools, we also encourage the mindset to match these life-long abilities. Think Together’s social-emotional learning (SEL) curriculum helps students build a growth mindset and provides opportunities to increase self-awareness, self-management, responsible decision-making, relationship skills, and social awareness.

Enhancing the Approach

The SEL competencies promoted in our programs were recently enriched by the addition of MindUp and Mindful-Based Stress Reduction for Teens, or Stressed Teens, programs. Both mindfulness-centered, MindUp is geared towards K-8^thgrade students and Stressed Teens is intended for 8^th-12^th grade students.

Adrian Arvizu, one of Think Together’s Learning and Development (L&D) Facilitators, was recently certified in both curriculums and works within the L&D team to integrate the lessons into our Think Summer and Core Program enrichment schedules.

The organization behind the older youth curriculum, Stressed Teens, defines the term “mindfulness” as “noticing your thoughts, feelings, and physical sensations in the present moment without harmful judgment.” In relation to SEL, Adrian says, “I like to see it as while SEL aims to build competencies, mindfulness supports the management of those competencies with sustainable practices.“

Implementing Everyday Mindfulness at Think Together

When Think Together’s L&D team trains new staff on mindfulness, they facilitate actual activities from the mindfulness curriculums so the staff can experience the learning firsthand. After staff participate in mindfulness activities, they see the impact it has on them, and can’t wait to pass it on to students!” We’re overwhelmed with the amount of ‘aha!’ moments that staff have” Adrian and the L&D team share.

A strength of the mindfulness lessons that Adrian points out is its focus on increasing the quantity and quality of positive experiences or stimuli for not only students but for staff as well. He says that “when we are able to provide that type of environment for students and staff, it will support the overall SEL experience and development, and ultimately influence the environment that the students and the staff are in.”

Train the Brain in Think Summer

Curbing learning loss is at the center of Think Summer. Learning recovery and readiness for the new academic year is not only about academics but also about mindset. With MBSR-T and Mind-Up, the Think Team is set to successfully walk through their learnings with students.

The lessons first take time to show students how their brain works. After laying a scientific foundation, the students learn methods to train their brains to be ready to learn. With guided practice, Think Summer students develop autonomous mindful practices that they can use anytime during the academic year.

During Think Summer, the Think Team will not only intercede but introduce sustainable practices to change a child’s trajectory leading into the new school year. “For those kids that may feel like they’re in a hole because of the learning loss, we’re teaching them now how to build resiliency, autonomy, and people are empowering them and helping them discover that they inherently have that capacity for happiness and wellbeing.”

Where should I start?

Mindfulness can take place anytime, anywhere! Adrian’s go-to practice is mindful breathing. When he meets a student who is struggling, he recommends pausing, breathing, and being in the present moment. Adrian observes for so many of us today, there is an increased number of distractions: on our phones, social media, you name it.

Engaging in these distractions “results in folks being mindless,” says Adrian. For kids and adults, “doing something like mindful breathing, definitely helps folks discover more about their emotions and the beauty of functioning without judgment.”

Controlling our breathing is a low-maintenance strategy to improve your mindful mindset. If you are looking for more in-depth strategies to try with the family, check out these three lessons, and build mindful habits with the whole family