Bridge Builders Foundation Brochure

F O U N D A T I O N R E M O V I N G O F

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B A R R I E R S

P O V E R T Y,

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D E S PA I R

SAY YES TO BUILDING BRIDGES R E M O V I N G O F

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B A R R I E R S

P O V E R T Y,

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MILESTONES AND ACCOMPLISHMENTS

F O U N D A T I O N

SAY YES TO MAKING A DIFFERENCE

MISSION To remove the barriers of race, poverty, ignorance and despair, and to improve life trajectories by providing social, emotional and educational supports for vulnerable ethnic minority youth and communities.

WHAT WE DO Provide, and/or arrange for racially and culturally relevant programs, socio-emotional supports and services to supplement existing community resources.

WHY WE DO IT Disinvestment in youth and communities of color compels us to actively participate in policy, systems and environmental change for the benefit of vulnerable citizens that are often overlooked and marginalized by society.

HOW WE DO IT Design, develop and implement programs, and seek partnerships that seek to reduce racial, social and economic barriers for African Americans and people of color.

ERNEST E. JUST SCIENCE PROGRAM SAY YES TO SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY, ENGINEERING, MATHEMATICS

The program, which began nearly 20 years ago as a one-day excursion to the Bolsa Chica Conservancy, has expanded vertically and horizontally. First moving to a summer program, then adding a year-round component, and more recently adding elementary and high school components.

The 100% FREE program seeks to address the gross underrepresentation of women and minorities in the STEM industry. In addition, it is designed to address the identified barriers of stigma, racial isolation, relatedness, and a sense of belonging.

The program currently serves approximately 100 youth of color annually, provides over 200 hours of face-to-face engagement on various STEM disciplines and topics (physical, earth, and life sciences), and exposes youth to STEM careers and academic tracks. A key theme is “What they see; they can be,” so the program is richly populated with women and minority instructors and field practitioners.

Program Participation Outcomes: • Over 1,000 students have participated in the program • Over 200 hours of instruction each year • Over 95,000 total student exposure hours to date • Over 30,000 hours of volunteerism confidence in STEM content.

• Over 15 STEM Topics and Careers covered • Over 75% of new participants report experience at least “1” first time experience (first time snorkeling, kayaking, at the beach, etc.)

• Over 90% of participants report increased confidence in STEM content.

• 100% show increased knowledge of STEM careers, and the utility of STEM studies in real life.

SUMMER MARINE SCIENCE CAMP Classroom instruction is led by Marine Science faculty from USC and field trips provide an opportunity to travel aboard a ship and learn about marine exploration. Students perform field exploration activities, learn concepts in math and science.

SATURDAY SCIENCE ACADEMY Lessons are hands-on, inquiry-based, and augmented with a field trip providing students with real-world applications. Subject matter includes: Aerospace Science, Architecture and Civil Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Human Anatomy, Computer Science, Energy Technology, Transportation, Engineering, and Marine Biology.

THRIVING UNDER THE INFLUENCE SAY YES TO MENTORING, COACHING, THRIVING UNDER THE INFLUENCE, LEADERSHIP, LITERACY PROGRAMS

Thriving Under The Influence” employs a robust pool of over 70 African American men, and touches the lives of several hundred youth of color on a weekly basis. In addition to mentoring and coaching, youth benefit from virtual Math Tutoring 3 days a week (credentialed teachers), virtual mentoring (weekly), bi-monthly community field trips, and leadership and employment opportunities through our Youth Ambassador Program.

The “Thriving Under the Influence” program supplements existing classroom, home, and community activities by exposing youth to role models and mentors. Students are engaged, on a weekly basis, outside of the classroom at targeted school and community sites for 90-120 minutes.

Students also participate in bi-monthly, “incentivebased” community enrichment field trips to educational and recreational venues totaling over 100 hours of engagement each school year. These field trips are incentivized by measuring attendance, citizenship, and homework completion.

Program Participation Outcomes: • Increased positive behavior and attitude • Decreased absences and disruptive behavior • Higher homework completion rates • Better understanding of healthy living • Greater awareness of the value of education, skilled trades, and the linkage to careers • Increased knowledge of ethnic history and culture • For every $1 invested in mentoring, there is a $3 Social Return on Investment.

Reduced cost of juvenile and adult crime; Reduced need for social services (near and long term); Increased positive behavior and attitudes; Decreased absences and disruptive behavior; Higher homework completion rates; Increased knowledge of ethnic history and culture; Greater understanding of the value of education, skilled trades and the linkage to careers.

The benefits of mentoring can be seen across many aspects of an individual’s life, including better attendance and attitude toward school, less use of drugs and alcohol, improved social skills and interactions with peers, more trusting relationships and better communication with parents, and increased chances of continuing on to higher education.

YOUTH AMBASSADORS SAY YES TO YOUTH THRIVING, WORK EXPERIENCE, CIVIC ENGAGEMENT, LEADERSHIP OPPORTUNITIES

In the fall of 2021, the Bridge Builders Foundation piloted a leadership expansion to partner with local elementary schools and provide paid leadership opportunities for youth in the Thriving Under The Influence Mentor program.

This expansion, the “Youth Ambassadors” currently has over 50 youth, who work every Saturday and after school at 8 school sites. Plans to employ over 100 students beginning in the fall 2022.

Excellent way to provide youth with money, work experience and supervised civic engagement. Plus, they serve as roles models for elementary school aged students who they serve and support.

Just another way we leverage resources to expand services for our youth and communities.

Partnership with Tabahani Book Circle, Zeta Rho Chapter of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc., and local schools awards over 1,200 library quality, hard cover books for youth’s personal home library.

Sixty-one percent of low-income families have no books at all in their homes for their children. While low-income children have, on average, four children’s books in their homes, a team of researchers concluded that nearly two-thirds of the low-income families they studied owned no books for their children (US Dept. of Education). In low-income neighborhoods the ratio is 1 book for every 300 children.

BBF made a commitment to bring books to life through reading, role playing and donation of personal books for youth to take home. Bridge Builders bought a two room tent, and created an outdoor classroom capability to engage youth, and comply with social distancing mandates which precluded inside classroom engagements.

To date, over 1,200 books have been distributed, and presentations have been held at over a dozen school sites within LAUSD and LBUSD, and we are overwhelmed with additional requests.

SAY YES TO LITERACY, ACCESS TO, BOOKS, HOME LIBRARIES

ASSAULT ON ILLITERACY

START2FINISH SCHOLARSPROGRAM SAY YES TO COLLEGE, FINANCIAL SUPPORT, GRADUATION, CAREERS

The Bridge Builders Foundation (BBF) has a multi-layered, start-to-finish program to support college-bound African American males. Each year, BBF selects a group of approximately 20 high school seniors based on academic achievement, civic involvement, community service, and financial need. These students receive the following services throughout their college experience: • Financial Support • College Preparedness and Persistence • Mentoring/Coaching • Remediation • Career Advice and Assistance

COMMUNITY SERVICE Scholars are encouraged to give back through volunteerism with the Bridge BBF programs, as well as other local and school organizations. Community service is one criterion for initial and recurring renewal scholarships. Mentors help students identify local community service opportunities. These activities support BBF efforts to change the narrative for African American males.

GRADUATION RATES Since 2010, BBF has awarded 159 scholarships. 69% of our student participants have graduated within 4 years, and 89% within 6 years.

According to the National Center for Education Statistics (2020), The national average 4 year completion rate for African American Males is 20%. Only 62% of ALL full-time college students earn a bachelor’s degree in 6 years, and only 37% African American Males earn a bachelor’s degree in 6 years.

FIRST GENERATION Nearly 50% of BBF’s Start-2-Finish scholars are the “first generation” in their family to attend college. Nationally, the 6-year completion rate for first generation African American males is less than 30%. Statistics indicate all students benefit from college information, mentoring and coaching, and career readiness supports, but the benefit for first generation African American males is extremely profound.

OVERALL COLLEGE READINESS 100% of our student participants report an increase in “knowledge and confidence” related to entering college after attending BBF’s Successful Strategies educational sessions. In addition, our students report reduced anxiety and apprehension about college after receiving our Conflict Resolution and Remediation Strategy instruction from same-race, same-gender instructors.

COMMUNITY EMPOWERMENT INITIATIVES

WEALTH EDUCATION AND UPLIFT SAY YES TO COMMUNITY If education is the great equalizer, then accumulated EMPOWERMENT, wealth, must be the “Great Un-Equalizer.” There are INITIATIVES

many social determinate’s of racial and ethnic disparities (health, housing, education, employment, incarceration and criminalization, and life expectancy). Yet wealth, is the lone trans-generational determinate. Inheritance, and the multigenerational benefits of wealth, pass inequality across generations.

Bridge Builders Foundation (BBF), as part of our wholistic investment in youth and communities of color, has developed a culturally relevant financial literacy and wealth empowerment curriculum targeting African American and Latinx communities.

• Community Education – A 75-90-minute educational session covering the utility of money, financial basics, and strategies • Youth Education – A 20-hour educational curriculum exposing young people to a broad range of financial information including, banking, investing, accounting principles, real estate and insurance.

HEALTH EDUCATION AND AWARENESS The COVID-19 pandemic illuminated many social determinate’s of health and the concomitant disparately negative impacts in health and healthcare service delivery and access for Black and Brown populations. In 2019, BBF through a grant from AIDS Healthcare Foundation, created a structured HIV/AIDS/STI primary prevention and risk reduction curriculum as well as developed informational literature and brochures covering HIV/AIDS/STI primary prevention and risk reduction. BBF is currently expanding this outreach to include additional health education awareness topics that disproportionately impact youth and communities of color. BBF will provide the following health education and community awareness and resource development services: • Focused Health Education Sessions – A series of 60-90 minute focused health education, awareness and disease prevention instructional sessions will be facilitated, including the following: 1) HIV/AIDS/STI, 2) Pre Conception Health Education, 3) Hypertension, Kidney, Diabetes and Heart Disease, 4) Cancer Awareness, 5) Substance Abuse, 6) Mental Health Education, 7) Obesity, 8) Nutrition Health Education, and 9) Stress Education and Risk Reduction.

• Community Health Fairs – Strategically located community health fairs that will provide information, service delivery and resource referrals.

• Community Mobilization and Awareness – Facilitate, and support the distribution of life saving information and resources targeting vulnerable, hard-to-reach racial/ethnic minority populations.

SAY YES TO BUILDING BRIDGES TO THE MOST VULNERABLE TO HELP THEM ACCESS THE RESOURCES THEY NEED TO THRIVE

The Bridge Builders Foundation has provided programs and services targeting the African American and Latinx youth and communities for over 20 years. Each year, several hundred youth benefit from our programs. In addition, we provide and/or arrange for targeted community initiatives touching the lives of several hundred more community members.

Most importantly, we serve the most vulnerable, ethnic minority youth and community members. Populations that are traditionally hard to reach, and harder to retain.

Over 90% of our mentored students qualify as low and moderate income (LMI), and each of our partner school sites are Title 1 schools. Over 75% of our students in our STEM program, and our 80% of our Scholars Program qualify as low and moderate income.

All of our efforts are supported and sustained through the generosity of countless individuals, and corporate and philanthropic partners who give generously of their time and resources to insure that a group of very deserving, and often overlooked citizens get much needed programs, services, and education.

We thank you for your continued support, and encourage you to join us as a volunteer, corporate or foundation partner, or sustaining supporter through a monthly commitment.

Now, more than ever, the old adage “It takes a village” applies. On behalf of the Bridge Builders Foundation, and the community we serve, welcome to the village.

Thanking you, in advance, for your consideration, I am.

Sincerely yours, James Breedlove, President, Bridge Builders Foundation

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

James Breedlove, President Melvin Jackson, Jr., Vice President Reginald Gentry, Treasurer Phil Dunn, Secretary Wayne Moore, Immediate Past President

BOARD MEMBERS

Brian Butts Drake Dillard William Dillard Thomas Dowdy Charles Franklin Theodore Irving Earl Jones, Jr. Alvin Trotter, Jr.

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