THINK Together Receives Computer Donation from Southern California Edison

On Tuesday, October 18, 2011, THINK Together received a donation from Southern California Edison (SCE), which contributed 50 Dell laptop computers to the THINK Together program at the Bassett Unified School District.  THINK Together students will be using the laptop computers to support homework completion and other educational activities tied to the academic standards prioritized by the school district.  THINK Together extends special thanks to Sylvia Southerland of SCE for her efforts in securing this important and generous donation.  We applaud the efforts of corporations like SCE which prioritize the learning of students and provide organizations - like THINK Together - with the resources needed to advance our mission.  We couldn't do what we do for children and teens statewide without the generous support of companies like SCE. 

Learn more at www.THINKTogether.org.

THINK Together Celebrates Lights On Afterschool 2011

The week of October 17^th, 2011, THINK Together participated in the 12^th Annual Lights On Afterschool event created by the Afterschool Alliance and held nationwide to bring attention to the importance of after-school programs for children, families and communities. Launched in 2000, the annual goal of the event is to raise awareness for the need of after-school care, as 1 in 4 youth today are alone and unsupervised after school. Programs like THINK Together keep kids safe, inspire learning and growth, and help working families. In observance of Lights On Afterschool, THINK Together staged multiple events across California to concur with the national event.



Sen. Calderon at Jersey Elementary

In Los Angeles County, Jersey Elementary in the Little Lake School District hosted a visit by Senator Ron Calderon, who spoke to students about the importance of his job in the Legislature and his commitment to support after-school programs. Also visiting Jersey Elementary were representatives from the Irvine Company, a real estate investment company which has donated $10 million to THINK Together over the last 10 years. Maxwell Elementary in the Duarte Unified School District also hosted Assemblyman Roger Hernandez. His visit and tour of the program included student presentations about THINK Together and the sharing of ideas about the future of public education. Students also created crafts and other activities for Lights On Afterschool.

In the San Bernardino Region, Haynes Elementary, in the Ontario-Montclair School District, was visited by Senator Gloria Negrete-McLeod, while Bemis Elementary in the Rialto Unified School District was visited by Assemblymember Wilmer Amina Carter. Both legislators visited the THINK Together sites to learn about the programs and their importance to student learning.

Parents and Graduates at Shalimar

The Orange County Region hosted two Lights On Afterschool community events, at the Shalimar Learning and Teen Centers in Costa Mesa and the Highland Learning and Teen Centers in Orange. Both events included testimonials from students, graduates, parents and volunteers. The average GPA of students enrolled in this program has risen by 34% and has helped to dramatically improve graduation rates for local students.

In Sacramento County, THINK Together organized Lights On events at Woodbine, Tsukamoto, Morse and Harkness Elementary Schools. Students created arts and crafts inspired by the Lights On celebration. At Kit Carson Middle and Herburger Elementary Schools, the Lights On activities featured STEM (science, technology, engineering, mathematics) projects.

Click here for more pictures of Lights On Afterschool 2011

Orange County Read for the Record Event 2011

On Thursday, October 6, 2011, THINK Together's Early Literacy Program participated in Jumpstart's National Read for the Record, an event held nationwide to bring attention to the importance of early literacy particularly for children from lower income households who do not have access to books prior to entering kindergarten. The annual goal of the event is to have the same book read by volunteers and parents to children nationwide on the same day.  This year, the national goal was to read to at least 2 million children. THINK Together coordinated three large-scale Read for the Record events at Westfield MainPlace Mall in Santa Ana, the Pretend City Children's Museum in Irvine, and the Barnes & Noble Metro Pointe store in Costa Mesa, and made the book read nationwide - Llama Llama Red Pajama - available at school sites for parents and volunteers to also read to children in the extended learning time programs. 

Along with the dozens of corporate volunteers, parents and staff who participated in the large reading events, the events also showcased celebrity guest readers, including the LA Galaxy street team, Los Angeles Lakers Girls, Santa Ana firefighters and law enforcement officers, and THINK Together Founder/CEO Randy Barth. In addition to receiving tips on encouraging reading and vocabulary development in young children, parents were also given the opportunity to choose a book to take home.  THINK Together's Read for the Record activities in Orange County reached 40,100 children - a 1,100 increase over the 2010 reading total goal.  THINK Together's Early Literacy Program reaches more than 57,000 youngsters and their parents annually at 91 locations, including schools, community sites, and pediatric clinics in Orange County



Click here for more pictures of the Read for the Record event

THINK Together receives Community Pillar Award

On Friday, October 1, 2011, Assemblyman Jose Solorio and staff visited THINK Together headquarters in Santa Ana to award Randy Barth, founder/CEO, with a 2011 Community Pillar Award.  The Community Pillar Award is given to non-profit organizations which work to improve the lives of residents living in central Orange County.  Barth and THINK Together earned the honor due to the organization's excellence in enhancing learning opportunities for school-aged children and teens.  Barth accepted the award on behalf of the organization, and dedicated the award to THINK Together's staff statewide.  Assemblyman Solorio, who lives in Santa Ana and served on the Santa Ana City Council for six years, spoke about THINK Together's important role in the community and in after-school education, noting that his two children attend THINK Together programs and that his wife is the principal at Valley High in the Santa Ana Unified School District,  which is another model THINK Together program site. 

The Community Pillar Award was launched last year. THINK Together is the 8th recipient of this honor for 2011.

Click here for more Pictures of Assemblyman Solorio's Visit to THINK