Learn To Be Foundation

Spearheaded by Director of Education and Outreach, Bruce Dos Santos, the Learn To Be Foundation has established a partnership with the UCLA Community School (UCLA-CS). With weekly sessions focusing on topics from science to writing, Learn To Be has dedicated each Thursday to engaging UCLA-CS students in an after-school setting.

The UCLA Community School is an innovative K-12 learning environment linking the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD), the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), and the Belmont Education Collaborative, a powerful coalition of community-based organizations. As a university-assisted school, the UCLA Learn To Be student organization has taken advantage of an avenue for engagement of UCLA faculty, staff and students.

In an effort to continue working in underserved communities and closing the achievement gap in public school education, the Learn To Be Foundation is proud to work with innovative teachers, administrators and hard-working students from the UCLA Community School.

As a new segment of the Learn To Be blog, we will be featuring a Tutor of the Month to recognize outstanding contributions by our tutors. This month we proudly recognize Joey for her exceptional dedication and commitment to tutoring students in our communities. She has exhibited great patience and creativity in her tutoring sessions, and we are grateful for the hours she has spent volunteering for our organization. Get to know our first Tutor of the Month, Joey!

Where are you from?
I was born in South Florida and have lived here my entire life.

How old are you?
18

What grade are you in?
I am a senior in high school.

What was your favorite subject in school?
I have always really enjoyed History; English is a close second.

What is your favorite book?
A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith

What is your favorite hobby?
Does tutoring count? I love reading and writing too.

What do you enjoy most about tutoring for Learn To Be?
I like helping others, it is very rewarding to work with those who genuinely appreciate it.

Congratulations again, Joey, and keep up the great work!

The Learn To Be Foundation today released its 2009 Annual Report on the organization's growth and development in the past year. The report emphasizes how the foundation has reached more students and schools, recruited dedicated tutors and volunteers, and pursued funding opportunities to ensure its programs continue to be accessible to all.

Highlights of the report include:

• Learn To Be is piloting at the new UCLA Community School to provide free tutoring services. 

• Since Learn To Be began an ambitious tutor recruitment campaign in September 2009, its tutor roster has significantly grown from 13 original tutors to 78, averaging three to five new applicants daily.

• Tutors are now located in 23 states including: Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Kansas, Maryland, Massachusetts, Mississippi, Nebraska, Nevada, New York, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Texas, Virginia, Washington, and Wisconsin.

• Learn To Be’s website traffic has increased from approximately 50 to 300 unique hits a day after the debut of its national advertisement spot on Hulu.com.
  

To read the full report, please click on the link below:

Download the 2009 Annual Report PDF

My name is Heather and I am one of the marketing and communications interns at Learn To Be. I am currently studying business and public relations at Chapman University and will be graduating in May 2010. I have really enjoyed my time working for Learn To Be and have learned a lot about an organization that I am extremely proud to represent. Not only has this internship provided me with real world experience, but it has also familiarized me with the nonprofit world. Learn To Be has opened my eyes to the incredible things these organizations are able to do for people.

Over the past few months I have become extremely aware of the benefits a service like Learn To Be provides. Right now education is a major concern, especially in California, and the free tutoring that Learn To Be offers is invaluable. I am extremely grateful to have had this opportunity to be part of such a good cause.

Throughout my internship, I have assisted in writing website content, press releases, and media alerts. This allowed me to really apply the skills I have accumulated and use them in helping to promote Learn To Be. I also conducted research and delivered presentations to Learn To Be staff on trends among other companies. It was extremely informative and interesting to see what other organizations were doing to raise awareness, especially on Facebook, Twitter, and in blogs. In November, Learn To Be partnered with Project Access and the NBA to host a “Family Fun Day." I had a major role in organizing the event. It was fun to create games and activities for the kids and to see it all come together. The event was a success, the kids had a lot of fun, and so did I!

Interning has given me valuable experience that I will carry with me throughout my life. The things that Learn To Be is doing for the community are amazing and I would just like to thank everyone I have worked with and met through Learn To Be for allowing me to contribute and be a part of this great organization.

Heather Pycz
Marketing and Communications Intern, Fall 2009