Think Together Awards City of Moreno Valley and Moreno Valley USD at Annual Raise A Hand Fundraiser

Think Together Honors City of Moreno Valley and Moreno Valley Unified School District with Champion of Change Award at Annual Raise A Hand Event
Think Together partners with the City of Moreno Valley and Moreno Valley Unified School District to provide afterschool and expanded learning programs to nearly 6,000 students annually.

Think Together, California’s largest nonprofit provider of afterschool, expanded learning, and school improvement programs, is proud to announce it has named the City of Moreno Valley and Moreno Valley Unified School District as this year’s Champion of Change award recipients at its annual Raise A Hand fundraiser event held on Thursday, April 21.

This year’s event returned as a live broadcast with more than 300 guests attending watch parties in Orange County, the Inland Empire, Coachella Valley, and the Bay Area and raised over $500,000 to date for K-12 expanded learning and afterschool programs that enrich the school day and bring equitable education opportunities to students throughout the state.

“Think Together is so impressed with the leadership and collaboration the City of Moreno Valley and Moreno Valley Unified foster to serve students in their community,” said Think Together Founder and CEO Randy Barth. “When new investment opportunities or program innovations become available, they’re the first to lead the way, trailblazing new programs that support student learning and inspiring others to do the same.”

When schools rolled out distance-learning to keep communities safe during the COVID pandemic, Think Together worked with the City of Moreno Valley and the Moreno Valley Unified School District to offer virtual expanded learning programs to students so they could stay connected with peers and program leaders in an educational environment.

As schools began to welcome students back on campus last year, the City and the District were among the first to partner with Think Together to augment their existing After School Education and Safety (ASES) and 21st Century Community Learning Centers grants with newly available Expanded Learning Opportunities Program (ELO-P) funds to offer expanded learning programs to more students and during non-instructional days, like summer and spring break.

“When we began our work together more than ten years ago, I knew as an educator this partnership had real potential to make a difference in the lives of students,” said Dr. Yxstian Gutierrez, Mayor of Moreno Valley. “There’s no greater investment than the one you can make in the future of our students, and this one has been no exception. It is an invaluable asset for our community.”

Since partnering with the City of Moreno Valley and the Moreno Valley Unified School District, Think Together has served an estimated 50,000 students with afterschool and expanded learning programs. In 2022 alone, programs reached an estimated 6,000 students and have evolved to serve youth and their families with academic enrichment, physical activity, and social-emotional learning, helping to provide a safe place for kids during typical working hours for caregivers.

Think Together was founded in 1997 as a single afterschool center in Costa Mesa and has since grown to serve nearly 200,000 students annually with direct-to-student and professional development programs throughout the state.

“We’re honored to be recognized alongside the City of Moreno Valley for the work we’re doing to help students outside of the school day,” said Moreno Valley Unified School District Superintendent Dr. Martinrex Kedziora. “These programs make a real difference in the lives of students and their families, and this recognition validates the work we’re proud to do every day as educators.”

Think Together also awarded its Faces of the Future Scholarship Award to three outstanding students who were enrolled in Think Together’s program. Recipients received a $2,000 scholarship and a laptop to start their college career.

A replay of Think Together’s Raise A Hand virtual broadcast can be viewed on YouTube. Sponsored by the Worah Family Foundation, the event brought together passionate individuals and corporations throughout California to celebrate 25 years of impacting students through afterschool and expanded learning.