At Think Together, we have always been guided by a simple yet powerful mission: to partner with schools to change the odds for kids. Over the past year, this mission has taken on even greater importance as we embarked on a journey to amplify our impact and ensure that every student in California has access to the opportunities they deserve. This year marks a pivotal moment for us. In June, we completed our new Strategic Impact Plan, setting the course for Think Together to evolve beyond expanded learning programs into a force that drives systemic change across school districts.
Our vision is clear: that demographics will no longer determine student outcomes, and all students in Californiaโparticularly those from historically marginalized communitiesโwill graduate with all life options available to them. To realize the full potential of our vision, Think Together has set bold goals to achieve by โdoubling our footprint and reach of expanded learning programs across California while scaling our impact portfolio to reach more students to make a lasting positive change to entire communities of children and youth.
With Orenda Education, led by Dr. Robin Avelar La Salle, we work together with educators to build equity-driven systems that ensure all students have access to a premium education. Our new initiatives, including the launch of a new leadership institute led by Dr. Paul Gothold, will equip district leaders to create equity-driven school systems. This is complemented by the work of the California Schools Talent Collaborative CSTC , which addresses staffing shortages in districts, enabling thousands of students to access essential programs.
Through these and other efforts, we are helping schools meet the conditions that foster supportive, student-centered environments. None of this work would be possible without partnership, trust, and generosity. It has been quite a remarkable stretch at Think Together. Since the pandemic, the organization has tripled in size, creating both challenges and opportunities. In response to this, the board of directors is in the process of refining its focus on how it supports the organization, as together we seek to meet this moment.
With a clear focus on the next five years through the recently adopted Strategic Impact Plan, we are committed to scaling our programs, expanding our partnerships, and reaching even more students across California to drive positive educational outcomes.
