Welcome to the Aim High Reach, the newsletter of Aim High! Stay connected with Aim High throughout the year with highlights from the program, news and happenings from our headquarters, and information on the many ingredients that make the Aim High recipe work for 23 years and counting.
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View more editions of the Aim High Reach: Sept 08, Nov 08 , Dec 08, Feb 09, March 09, May 09, June 09
In this issue:
Please Join Us for a Yurt-Raising!
Aim High Builds Yurt in Marin Headlands
South Bay Supporters Drive Strong Launch for Aim High's Twelfth Campus
Review Aim High on Greatnonprofits.org
Student Center Offers Year-Round Tutoring for 2008-2009 School Year
Please Join us for a Yurt-Raising!
What: Celebration Picnic for Aim High's new yurt
When: Saturday, November 1st, 11:00 AM to 2:00 PM
Where: Tennessee Valley, Golden Gate National Recreation Area, Marin County, CA
RSVP: evite or contact Kat: kat@aimhigh.org or 415.551.2333
Friends of Aim High, We hope you'll join us to celebrate the construction of our yurt in the Marin Headlands. The afternoon will include lunch and a brief dedication. Those who are interested may stay to complete light restoration projects or enjoy a walk to the beach. The event is open to friends of Aim High and their guests. Please RSVP here!
To reach the Marin Headlands Environmental Home from Hwy 101:
-exit CA-1 N toward Stinson Beach
-turn left on Tennessee Valley Rd.
-at the end of the road, park in the parking lot and walk about half a mile, following signs for Aim High
We hope to see you there! To find out more about the yurt and the Headlands Environmental Home program, read on.
Aim High Builds Yurt in Marin Headlands
Though the Marin Headlands are just across the bay, many low-income students in San Francisco will never get a chance to visit. But through the Headlands Environmental Home program with Aim High, more than 200 students each summer spend a week learning about the ecosystem and getting their hands dirty with restoration projects.
This month, Aim High is ready to break ground on a yurt to serve as an outdoor classroom at its Headlands site in the Tennessee Valley of the Golden Gate National Recreation Area (GGNRA) in the Marin Headlands.
The yurt will provide shelter and serve as a classroom for Aim High's environmental education program, which involves teaching ecology, leadership and environmental stewardship to 9th graders from San Francisco’s toughest neighborhoods. In the 12 years that Aim High has led trips in the headlands, more than 1,000 students have worked to restore a natural frog habitat, increase the diversity of wildlife in the area, and help native plants fight the encroachment of invading pests.
The week-long Headlands program can be transformative for students like Bonnie Tong, a former Aim High student who is now an intern in the program. For many, it’s their first time spending an extended period of time in the outdoors.
“Living in the city does not give me a lot of opportunities to see large expanses of wilderness,” said Tong. “The Headlands trip was my favorite part of Aim High - I loved the experience and I learned a lot about nature, even nature here in the city.”
Aim High will be building the yurt in October, with its grand opening celebration scheduled for Saturday, November 1st. The yurt will be dedicated with a lunch and celebration from 11 am -2 pm. The afternoon’s activities will also include light restoration projects and a walk to the beach.
Alec Lee, the founder and Executive Director of Aim High, considers the Headlands program a vital part of Aim High’s mission. Though students come to Aim High to work on academic skills like math and reading, the environmental education program creates learning opportunities of a different kind.
“The yurt is an important of part of this program,” said Lee. “It really opens up new possibilities for Aim High and like-minded groups to do community service and stewardship activities in the Tennessee Valley.”
Lee also points out that the yurt is part of a greater effort to teach sustainable living by example.
The Headlands program was originally based out of a 1960’s-era ranch house, but its high-impact construction was damaging to its surroundings.
“This area is a natural wetland, but the soil around the house was so compacted that water was forced out and was pooling under the foundation,” says Richard Lautze, Director of the Headlands Environmental Home. “The house wasn’t in good shape, it wasn’t safe, and it was doing damage to the habitat we were working to preserve.”
Students and staff have spent the last two years digging channels, planting native flora, and reshaping the landscape to restore the natural water table and habitat. Lautze hopes to eventually dismantle the house altogether.
Constructed on a platform rather than a foundation, the yurt’s impact on surrounding areas will be minimal. It will eventually include solar panels and a high-effiiency wood-burning stove, exemplifying the program’s teachings about minimizing environmental impact.
Lee notes, “We deeply value our partnership with the GGNRA and are thrilled to be able to support its work in restoration and sustainability.” Aim High hopes to make the yurt available as a resource to other organizations in the area.
The yurt was purchased from Pacific Yurts in Oregon with the generous support of the Bothin Foundation.
For more information on the yurt, the celebration, and the Headlands Environmental Home program, contact Kat White, Communications Coordinator: kat@aimhigh.org or 415-551-2333.
South Bay Supporters Drive Strong Launch for Aim High’s Twelfth Campus
52 students and 13 teachers were added to the Aim High family this year with the launch of a twelfth campus at Garfield Charter School in Redwood City.
The need for enrichment programs in the area has never been greater. With nearly 25% of district’s public schools failing to meet state standards, in-school enrichment activities are becoming scarce and slots in out-of-school-time programs like Aim High are in high demand.
In addition to their morning academic classes, Garfield Aim High students visited Stanford University and the Zeum, learned wilderness survival, and participated in a workout with WNBA stars.
If Aim High didn't come to Garfield, 12-year-old Carlos Franco said, "I'd be home sleeping or watching TV. Here it's really fun, but at the same time it's educational."
"It helps you learn more and prepares you for next year, when I go to seventh grade," added Jonathan Diaz, 12.
Rosanna Palomo, one of Aim High Garfield’s founding site directors, cites involvement from families and strong relationships with students as the key to the campus’s success.
“Celebration Day was definitely the best day of program – most of the kids told me that they were excited to come back next year,” says Palomo. Nearly 95% of parents were in attendance to see student work and performances.
Significant multi-year funding from Stephen and Hope Pilch, John and Robina Riccitiello, Latham Watkins and the Steve and Anita Westly Foundation was critical to the launch of the Garfield campus.
Says Pilch, “when I toured the schools in San Francisco and saw the work that Aim High was doing, I felt that we needed to expand this. Seeing what is happening in East Palo Alto and Redwood City can only be described in emotional terms.”
Additionally, key partnerships with Eastide Prep and Stanford University created pipelines for Aim High Garfield’s outstanding teaching staff, while support from the school district and Redwood City Family Centers enabled Aim High to reach the district’s highest-need students.
Following this strong launch, Aim High hopes to double the capacity of the Garfield campus and open new sites in the South Bay, serving more than 400 students by 2010. Support from funders, community leaders, school partners and leaders from Aim High’s South Bay Task Force, co-chaired by Bob Falkenberg and Lara Druyan, will be vital in achieving this ambitious growth.
To find out more about Aim High’s Vision 2010 strategic plan and learn how you can get involved, contact Laura Foulke, Director of Development, at 415.551.2312 or lfoulke@aimhigh.org.
Aim High Garfield was featured this summer in the San Mateo County Times! To read the full article, click here.
Review Aim High on Greatnonprofits.org!
Aim High is pleased to be working with Greatnonprofits.org to offer candid information about nonprofits on the web - but we need your help! Please take a minute to share your Aim High experience and give us feedback by reviewing us on the Greatnonprofits.org site. Through Greatnonprofits.org's partnership with Guidestar, a leading source of nonprofit information on the web, our profile will be seen by thousands in the philanthropy world, so your input really counts - please share what you know and love about Aim High!
Review Aim High on Greatnonprofits.org
Student Center Announces Year-Round Tutoring for 2008-2009 School Year
Aim High partner high schools will offer year-round tutoring services for Aim High middle school students this year. Volunteer tutors at The Urban School of San Francisco (Haight-Ashbury), Lick-Wilmerding High School (Ingleside), and Bishop O'Dowd High School (Oakland) will be available twice a week at no cost.
Find Out More About Aim High After-School Tutoring
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View more editions of the Aim High Reach: Sept 08 , Nov 08 , Dec 08, Feb 09, May 09
Aim High is proud of the incredible accomplishments of our 1100 students and 350 faculty members this summer, and we could not have achieved great things without the help of our funders and supporters. Thanks for making this a great year, and stay tuned for more updates to come!
For more information on any of these topics, contact Kat White, Communications Coordinator, at 415-551-2333 or kat@aimhigh.org.