Think Together Hosts Hands-On Volunteer Event to Support Summer Learning for 28,000 Students

Think Together Hosts Hands-On Volunteer Event to Support Summer Learning for 28,000 Students
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2025-04-30

1,500 summer learning curriculum kits will benefit students across the state this summer.

SANTA ANA, Calif., April 30, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Think Together, California's leading nonprofit provider of expanded learning, afterschool programs, staffing, and school improvement services, held a donor and volunteer engagement event at their Santa Ana headquarters where they raised $200,000 and assembled over 1,500 curriculum kits and book bags to enhance summer learning for over 28,000 students across the state.

Research from Northwest Evaluation Association (NWEA) suggests that students in under-resourced communities can lose up to three months of progress from the previous academic year compared to their wealthier peers. By providing access to engaging, high-quality summer learning experiences, Think Together helps bridge that gap, boosting skills in math, reading, and social-emotional development while keeping students motivated and connected through the school break.

"We are grateful for the overwhelming support from our volunteers and donors who helped create meaningful educational experiences for students this summer," said Think Together Founder and CEO Randy Barth. "This event not only provided an opportunity to directly impact students' summer learning, but it also reinforced the power of private and public partnership to help ensure all students have access to the resources they need to succeed."

The event marks the second year Think Together has hosted a seasonal kit build, attracting nearly 100 volunteers and sponsorships from organizations such as TopGolf, National Charity League, Assistance League, Pioneer Circuits, Pacific Life, BNY, Deloitte, Taylor Nelson Amitrano LLP and PWC. Participants assembled summer learning enrichment kits filled with supplies for hands-on activities in STEAM, English language arts, physical education and visual arts.

Over the last two years, Think Together has shifted to giving donors more interactive ways to engage with its mission. Events like kits builds, books doctors and classroom readings offer donors and supporters the hands-on opportunity to contribute directly to student success in real-time.

"We've noticed that our donors and supporters want to do more than just write a check, they want to get involved with helping students directly. Between smaller donor activations at corporate offices to larger-scale events like this, we're giving them that opportunity to impact students in a meaningful way," added Barth.

Starting as early as mid-May, Think Together will bring a fun and enriching summer camp experience to their school district partners over 4-6 weeklong sessions with lessons in team building, physical activity and academic enrichment in addition to field trips and on-site experiences for students. One lesson from the curriculum kits students will learn this summer is how to work together to make parade floats that they will present to friends and family during a culminating event.

Last summer, Think Together was contracted to serve students across 280 schools, and this year's hands-on volunteer event continues to build on that momentum, ensuring even more young learners have access to high-quality enrichment that supports their academic and personal growth.

About Think Together

Think Together partners with schools and communities to pursue educational opportunity and excellence for all kids. As a nonprofit organization, Think Together innovates, implements, and scales academic solutions that change the odds for hundreds of thousands of California students each year. Think Together's program areas include early learning, afterschool, school improvement, staffing, and leadership development for teachers and school administrators. For more information, call (888) 485-THINK or visit www.thinktogether.org.