THINK Together’s mission is to provide high-quality, academically oriented out-of-school programs for students regardless of race, creed, or socioeconomic status. Since its inception in 1994, THINK (Teaching, Helping, Inspiring and Nurturing Kids) Together has been committed to improving academic outcomes for children and youth living in under-resourced communities.
Our programs began in response to a plea from a gang-ridden neighborhood in West Costa Mesa to provide a safe place for children to do their homework after school. From those humble beginnings, our organization has grown into one of the nation’s largest non-profit providers of extended learning time programs, serving more than 100,000 youth at over 400 locations in Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, Sacramento, San Bernardino and San Diego Counties, in partnership with a wide variety of public and private agencies, including over 30 school districts. In addition to our core after school program, THINK Together offers summer learning opportunities, small group tutoring, early learning programs, and school-age child care.
Throughout our remarkable expansion, we still believe that education is the single most important factor in helping young people to achieve their full potential. Our programs have demonstrated, through independent evaluation, that students who regularly participate in our academically oriented activities reach proficient levels in English/Language Arts (ELA) and Mathematics at a rate nearly double that of their peers. Our curriculum has been designed by experienced educators to align with and reinforce the critical content standards by which academic achievement is measured. Our educational expertise is complemented by experienced business professionals with the knowledge and skills required to scale and sustain our programs statewide.
