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Urban Sprouts 2017

Urban Sprouts teaches youth about food and healthy eating through a school garden program. They principally serve historically under-resourced neighborhoods and public housing communities in southeast San Francisco.

Urban Sprouts’ project-based learning approach delivers environmental and nutrition education; advances student and family health by promoting the increased consumption of fresh produce through food and garden-based activities; bolsters academic success; provides youth and adults with job-skill training and employment opportunities.

Junior Achievement 2016

Through relevant, authentic, and experiential financial literacy, work readiness, and entrepreneurship programs, Junior Achievement of Northern California is inspiring a generation to be financially capable and prepared for career success.

With the help of volunteer role models, education and business partners, JA equips these young people with the tools to solve problems creatively, manage risk effectively, and welcome opportunity.

10 Books a Home 2014

10 Books A Home (10BH) is a non-profit organization that serves families whose children are tracked to attend kindergarten in a school district where only 25% of students read at grade level. 10BH created the Child-Parent Home Tutoring Program in 2012 to offer under-served families in East Palo Alto and East Menlo Park resources that are generally accessible to more advantaged families: 1-on-1 home tutoring and high quality children’s books. The program is designed to give children and families a head start before they begin kindergarten in high-poverty school districts.

The goal of the 10BH program is to ensure children are prepared for kindergarten and their families have developed practices known to encourage further educational success. Once enrolled, their 3-year old child receives 1-on-1 tutoring for two years until they begin kindergarten. The child is also given educational resources, such as donated books and a bookcase, so that the family can continue to read together and practice what they learn in tutoring sessions.

10BH just had its first “class” of students enter kindergarten and found that 100% of its participants are at/above grade level. In 2013, they served 70 families and had 180 more families apply for the program. Additionally, they provided 1,800 books to the participants. In the two years that the program has operated, they have found that as a result of participating in the program, parents read 4.5 times more with their children than before, and children develop a stronger motivation to learn and spend more free time practicing what they learn during lessons, rather than playing with toys or watching television.

Kenny & Company spent a day creating felt storyboards for 10BH tutors (Role Models) to use during their sessions with their Learners. Storyboards are great tools for young learners, especially those whose primary language is not English. Learners can interact with the storyboard as the story is being read or the Learner can re-enact the story using the storyboard. Other activities, such as counting, sequencing the story events, etc. can also be done with the storyboard. We created one storyboard for each of the 100 families that 10BH serves