Blog

Isaiah Jackson Is On His Way to Firefighting

By Eric Steckel
October 27, 2022

You Helped Him Gain Confidence In His Career Decision

Isaiah had reservations about becoming a firefighter. Your support of CareerBridge helped him gain confidence in his career decision.

Isaiah Jackson, a recent high school graduate, joined CareerBridge after a chance meeting with Program Director Margena Wade-Green. He spent the summer at his dream internship with the Crockett Fire Department.

“I like to help people,” he explained.

One of the CareerBridge mentors had a brother in the tight-knit Crockett Fire Department. Before long, Isaiah was exploring what it means to be a firefighter in the quaint, historic town on the edge of San Francisco Bay.

Will you complete HER Circle of Care?

Through one-on-one reading and math tutoring, and family support, you will nurture an eager child in a circle of care so they may succeed in school.

Yes, I want to uplift a child in school today!

Isaiah feels extremely fortunate to have been offered the opportunity.

“The Crockett Fire Department is amazing. They provide training and make sure you have what you need to succeed. It was awesome to be in the fire station, go on calls, and do stuff physically.”

The internship had a significant impact on his career aspirations.

“I had been on the fence about firefighting. There is a risk factor in the job,” Isaiah explained. “When I talked to the station firefighters, they made me feel more confident in the profession.”

As part of the CareerBridge program, Isaiah was paired with a career mentor, Children Rising Board Member Henrietta Fabio.

“The Crockett Fire Department is amazing. They made me feel like a member of the team which was awesome.” – Isaiah Jackson, CareerBridge Intern

“Ms. Henrietta was great. She put me in touch with counselors and helped me understand what I am walking into. She helped me find scholarships and funding for college. She made a significant difference in me going to college,” Isaiah said.

Now that he is confident in his career choice, there is much work to do. Isaiah enrolled at Chabot College, co-majoring in firefighting and math. He is taking classes such as fire tech and fire fitness, both prerequisites for the fire academy.

“Isaiah has a dream and vision, and I believe this conscientious young man will achieve it,” Henrietta said.

Your support will enable Isaiah to become a firefighter.

If you are interested in mentoring an eager youth, learn more about opportunities with Children Rising.

 I want to learn more about CareerBridge to see if mentoring is right for me!

I want to help fund Children Rising tutoring and mentoring programs to empower more children this year!

Alphabox Inspires Delight In Young Readers

By Eric Steckel
October 25, 2022

Family Engagement Enables David and Diego to Succeed in Reading

Your support of children AND families enables David and Diego to overcome their struggles in reading and rise to their God-given potential.

David and Diego, twin brothers in second grade last year, are an “entertaining” pair. They are active, play soccer, and love exploring the local parks. They also enjoy more quiet pursuits like painting and history.

However, despite loving books, they struggled with reading. In fall 2021, they enrolled in Succeeding by Reading and continued with the program throughout the school year and summer.

“The boys were engaged and entertaining,” said Bev Hanson, a Succeding by Reading summer program coordinator. “They were easy to work with and always willing to talk and work.”

Will you complete HER Circle of Care?

Through one-on-one reading and math tutoring, and family support, you will nurture an eager child in a circle of care so they may succeed in school.

Yes, I want to uplift a child in school today!

David and Diego’s family supported their learning.

Although she has a very busy schedule, Melby, their mother, was ever-present on the summer Zoom meetings. “They get excited when they see the tutor and want to spend more time on Zoom. They get excited when the tutor says you will advance to another color,” she told us.

Their older brother Emilio took time to read to them and use their POWER Pack—a handy “alphabox” designed to enable SbR families to improve their children’s reading skills at home using the same materials we use in our program.

“They are making great progress in reading. They are doing well at school. I am very happy with their development. This program is very important to Diego and David. But they still need reading support.” – Melby, David and Diego’s Mother

Family engagement has enabled David and Diego to better use their time in SbR. When families are an integral part of their child’s education, they can confidently nurture and advocate for their child’s academic success.

“They are making great progress in reading. They are doing well at school. I am very happy with their development,” Melby reported. “This program is very important to Diego and David. But they still need reading support.”

Your gifts will ensure David and Diego receive the support they need.

If you are interested in tutoring an eager child, learn more about opportunities with Children Rising.

 I want to learn more about online reading or math clinics to see if tutoring is right for me!

I want to help fund Children Rising tutoring and mentoring programs to empower more children this year!

* Children Rising respects the privacy of our students. While all the stories we share are genuine and true, we change names as needed to protect student privacy.

Meet Jeyla, Who You Helped Thrive In Math

By Eric Steckel
October 21, 2022

Your Support Meant She, Mr. Gabe, & Her Family Worked on Math Together

Your gifts meant Jeyla, Mr. Gabe, and her family could work on math together this Summer. Accelerated child learning flourishes when family, school, and tutors are on the same page.

It all started with determination. “When I am bored, I like to do math or pretend I am in school,” Jeyla said.

The ability to learn processes, and the determination to master them, served her well during the COVID pandemic. However, when Jeyla’s family heard she was struggling with math after returning to the classroom, they enrolled her in the Path2Math summer learning program.

Will you complete HER Circle of Care?

Through one-on-one reading and math tutoring, and family support, you will nurture an eager child in a circle of care so they may succeed in school.

Yes, I want to uplift a child in school today!

“Jeyla enjoys working on her own. A little bit of one-on-one help goes a long way in answering her ‘process questions,’ ” her Aunt Moesha explained. “Once she’s into the math routine and doing it all the time, she’s ‘lights out,’ so it was terrific for her to do Path2Math during the summer.”

“A little bit of one-on-one help goes a long way…Once she’s into the math routine and doing it all the time, she’s ‘lights out.’” – Moesha, Jeyla’s Aunt

Family engagement was beneficial. “We’ve been able to go into orientations, ask questions, and get tips and help. We’ve watched her one-on-one tutoring and helped her out after the session. It’s been good.” They encourage Jeyla to use the IXL learning platform outside her tutoring sessions. “Although the sessions are over for the summer, she’s been able to go in there and practice math regularly. It’s helpful to have the tools she needs.”

Your support meant Jeyla, Mr. Gabe, and her family worked on math together. Accelerated learning happens when the family, school, and tuto are on the same page.

They believe that one-on-one tutoring makes a big difference. “It’s innate for kids to listen to certain people over others. It just seems like somebody who can be on the outside and look at her as a student and not as family, and can grasp and home in on this one section of her learning is more beneficial to her overall learning.” Moesha explained.

Jeyla benefits from this holistic approach, where family, school, and tutors are on the same page.

Your gifts will ensure Jeyla receives the support she needs.

If you are interested in tutoring an eager child, learn more about opportunities with Children Rising.

 I want to learn more about online reading or math clinics to see if tutoring is right for me!

I want to help fund Children Rising tutoring and mentoring programs to empower more children this year!

* Children Rising respects the privacy of our students. While all the stories we share are genuine and true, we change names as needed to protect student privacy.

Perspectives — Your Gifts Empower Families to Accelerate Their Child’s Learning

By Jim Wambach
October 19, 2022

Caregivers Develop Skills, Confidence, and Tools to Advocate for Their Kids

You provide families with the tools, skills, time, and confidence to support their children’s learning. That gift is more critical than ever!

Families come in many forms. If there is one thing I can confidently say, caregivers—whether they are Mom and Dad, Grandma or Grandpa, or Aunt or Uncle—have a unique vision of what’s best for the children in their care. Who better understands the needs of the child they have loved, nurtured, and poured care into?

The shared stories demonstrate that a family’s active support of their child’s education accelerates academic growth. Dr. Phillip Bevans, Ph. D., shared this insight: “As the pandemic continues in its third year, teachers, students, and parents/caregivers have a new appreciation of their respective roles and objectives.”

Will you complete HER Circle of Care?

Through one-on-one reading and math tutoring, and family support, you will nurture an eager child in a circle of care so they may succeed in school.

Yes, I want to uplift a child in school today!

Indeed, as we recover from COVID-related loss of learning time, having more families with the tools, skills, time, and confidence to support their children’s learning will be more critical than ever.

Family Engagement empowers parents, and engages students at school

This vital area of family support goes beyond improving academic skills. By supporting children’s learning at home, kids develop confidence in their ability to learn—and become more engaged students at school. Additionally, a caregiver’s ability to confidently articulate their child’s challenges, and vision for their child’s success with educators, can improve the overall in-school support for the child, further accelerating learning.

“Families in EVERY community care about education in their neighborhoods.” – Tanji Reed Marshall, Ph.D – The Education Trust

This school year, we launched the FamilyBridge program. Our vision is that every family has the in-home learning expertise, tools, and support to confidently nurture and advocate for their child’s academic growth. FamilyBridge will partner with parents and caregivers of children enrolled in Succeeding by Reading and Path2Math. Our goal is to enable them to further develop the skills, confidence, and tools needed to accelerate their child’s learning and advocate for their vision of their child’s academic growth.

Family engagement enables parents and caregivers to discover their agency, develop the skills and confidence to support learning at home, and advocate for their child within the school system.

Listening to each family’s collective needs will be essential for children and families to feel genuinely empowered with improved in-home learning abilities. Understanding the specific family dynamics will enable us to better respond supportively to a child’s academic needs. However, that is just one part of the equation.

By truly celebrating the uniqueness of each family—of which the child is a precious extension—we enable them to discover their agency, develop the skills and confidence to support learning at home, and advocate for their child within the school system. Affirming parents and caregivers empowers them to play a more significant role in guiding and advocating for their child’s future.

YES, I CAN empower a child to build bridges to a better future!

 I want to learn more about online reading or math clinics to see if tutoring is right for me!

I want to help fund Children Rising tutoring and mentoring programs to empower more children this year!