February 2014 Newsletter
Dear Friends of A Bridge for Kids,Walt Disney once said of change: “We keep moving forward, opening new doors, and doing new things, because we're curious and curiosity keeps leading us down new paths...paths to new successes.” This month “change” is the operative word at A Bridge for Kids as we move forward down a path that is lit primarily by the ideas of our teens. Today we are announcing four new initiatives that will compliment our ongoing sponsorship program.1) Annual College campus tours- We have two campus tours planned for the spring and summer where several of our teens will visit 15+ universities including Georgetown, Princeton, UC Berkeley, UC Chico, NYU, Harvard and Dartmouth. A Bridge for Kids students at The Preuss School and Escondido Charter High School are planning the itinerary for both trips and if successful, campus visits, which were once only a dream to our kids, will likely become an annual event.2) Tutoring Pilot Program- Working with economically disadvantaged students at High Tech High in San Diego, A Bridge for Kids this week launched a pilot program for 8th-10th graders who have demonstrated the academic potential to earn good grades but have not been able to reach this potential due to outside influences. Our team believes this is a huge opportunity to improve the academic standing of many “at risk” youth.3) SAT Preparatory classes- Beginning this summer, A Bridge for Kids plans to offer SAT preparatory classes to those deserving students who otherwise do not have access to such a program. Our goal is to close some, if not most, of the 300-400 point gap that exists for low income students.4) 2014 Teens Helping Teens Leadership Program- The Teens Helping Teens contest was designed to inspire young leaders in the community to explore philanthropy. Our goal is to both encourage and provide them with the tools necessary to get involved in giving back. To learn more about how your own kids can get involved in Teens Helping Teens, visit our “new and improved” website at abridgeforkids.org.Sincerely, Mike NanceFounder and CEOA Bridge for Kids “You must be the change you wish to see in the world.” - Mahatma Gandhi