Celebrating a Year of Inspiring Stories

Think Together’s Family and Community Engagement (FACE) team serves as a vital link between families, school partners, and expanded learning programs, ensuring every student has the support they need to thrive.

Their impact shines through stories like that of FACE Coordinator Sara Orellana, whose extraordinary efforts to support a family experiencing a difficult time earlier this year captured the very essence of what Think Together provides for communities. She mobilized school staff, district leaders, and even the city to ensure the family had a safe path forward.

The FACE team strengthens community connections, advocates for expanded learning, and equips staff with training and resources that reach over 1,500 team members and distribute nearly 8,000 informational materials in the last year alone. With the impactful work they do, it’s no surprise that this powerful story rose to the top as Think Together’s most-read blog of the year.

Esther, a Think Together student, now alumna, whose creativity and confidence led her to launch the popular Beauty and Brains Academy at Compton High School, fully represents Think Together’s commitment to supporting students in pursuing their passions.

Esther developed her idea of the Beauty and Brains Academy to create a safe space for beauty, self-expression, and confidence-building. The academy quickly grew into a well-attended cosmetology club with hopes of becoming a school-wide elective.

Esther’s journey reflects the impact of Think Together’s high school programs, which empower students to lead their own clubs, explore diverse interests, and build real-world skills. It’s a standout story that resonates with the communities Think Together serves and how the organization strives to pave a bright path for young minds.

Since 2023, Think Together’s paid internship program has given college students hands-on experience in fields like business, marketing, and program design, while providing a pathway to full-time careers.

Since its inception, the internship program has drawn over 742 applicants, supported 25 interns, and resulted in five full-time hires, underscoring the program’s effectiveness and career impact.  Strategic partnerships with universities such as CSUF, UCI, CSULB, and UCR have helped expand career opportunities in the nonprofit sector for young professionals.

Reaching students beyond high school graduation is a key goal for Think Together. The internship program supports that goal by fostering career pathways that create a pipeline for students at local colleges to gain meaningful work experience and transformative opportunities for success.

Another of Think Together’s top blogs of the year highlights how partnerships can make a real difference in supporting young minds. In collaboration with the PNC Foundation through PNC Grow Up Great®, Think Together is helping Orange County families access affordable childcare and early learning opportunities.

Home-based providers like Elizabeth Lindsay, who has run a Santa Ana childcare center for 21 years, receive funding, materials, and guidance to help children thrive while empowering parents as their child’s first teacher.

These workshops have served 137 families representing 162 children. Through literacy initiatives, parent workshops, and professional training for early learning staff, Think Together serves hundreds of families and young learners. Partnerships like these demonstrate how, through collaboration, anything is possible to expand opportunities for children.