6/12/2006 The Irvine Company's Donald Bren Gives THINK Together $1 Million to Expand Santa Ana's After School Program THINK Together after-school academic programs in Santa Ana received $1 million in funding today from Donald Bren and The Irvine Company, the largest single philanthropic gift to THINK Together in its nine-year history of providing after school tutoring and mentoring to lower income, at-risk students in Orange County. Santa Ana’s civic and educational leaders praised The Irvine Company’s pledge to upgrade and expand the school district’s after-school academic programs, predicting that the 10-year support of THINK Together will have a significant and lasting impact upon the education of students, as well as on the quality of life of the entire community. Flanked by Mayor Miguel Pulido, Santa Ana Unified School District Board President Audrey Yamagata-Noji Ph.D, Santa Ana Unified School District Superintendent Al Mijares Ph. D, and Santa Ana Police Chief Paul Walters, THINK Together founder and Executive Director Randy Barth said, “With this wonderful contribution from The Irvine Company, we can extend the learning time and expand the learning opportunities for the students of Orange County’s largest and most urban school district—Santa Ana.” The $1 million pledge check was presented by Dan Young, executive vice president of The Irvine Company, who served as mayor of Santa Ana from 1988 to 1994. He said the inspiration for the gift was Irvine Company Chairman Donald Bren, who “believes in THINK Together and its ability to give hope and produce positive results from young, at-risk students.” THINK Together received a commitment from The Irvine Company to provide $100,000 per year for the next 10 years, which will allow the after-school tutoring program to expand across the Santa Ana Unified School District and provide low-income students with reading and homework assistance. THINK Together envisions that over 10,000 students will be served by the more than 40 schools in Santa Ana that will participate in the program with this funding. “The ten-year duration of this commitment is unique and important,” explained Barth. “Education programs like ours must be on-going to have any definable results. The respect and credibility that Mr. Bren carries as an investor serves as a catalyst for a change in giving patterns for corporations, foundations and other philanthropic investors in this community and beyond.” “THINK Together has proven to make a big difference in the lives of some very promising young students, and fills a very important role in their successful education,” added Young. “As a long-time supporter of THINK Together in Costa Mesa, Orange and Tustin, we’ve seen the vision that Randy Barth has and the benefits that THINK Together after school programs bring to a community. “Santa Ana is the historic heart of Orange County, and to continue to mature and prosper as a vibrant city, Orange County needs a healthy heart,” continued Young. “THINK Together has the right combination of energy and drive that will provide the enrichment and nourishment that the children of Santa Ana need to thrive and flourish.” The Irvine Company has been supportive of THINK Together since 1998, when it contributed funds to establish an after-school program in the Tustin Unified School District at Thorman Elementary School. The Irvine Company also provided a gift that was instrumental in keeping THINK Together’s Highland Teen Center open in 2003. Since 1998, The Irvine Company has provided over $500,000 in gifts to THINK Together. In addition, Sat Tamaribuchi, vice president of environmental affairs for The Irvine Company, has served on THINK Together’s Board of Directors since its inception. THINK Together was established in 1997 to help set up and support after school tutoring and mentoring programs that reach low-income families and children living in at-risk neighborhoods throughout Orange County. Overall, THINK Together serves approximately 4,000 students in Orange County. THINK stands for Teaching, Helping, Inspiring, Nurturing, Kids. Each of the 23 sites in Orange County utilize a team of educators and trained volunteers from the surrounding community to provide homework help and tutoring for the students in the program. In the 2005-2006 school year, approximately 1,400 trained volunteer tutors have already contributed more than 40,000 volunteer hours. THINK Together currently operates after-school programs in ten locations in Santa Ana: Edison Elementary School, Franklin Elementary School, Garfield Elementary School, Grant Elementary School, Heninger Elementary School, Madison Elementary School, Washington Elementary School, Wilson Elementary School, Lathrop Intermediate and the Noah Teen Center. For more information about THINK Together, visit http://www.thinktogether.org. For more information about The Irvine Company, visit http://wwwirvinecompany.com. |
