Agency Details:

Building Futures Now opens the doors of the Bay Area’s top public and private schools to high potential low-income students of color. Through year round individualized support, Building Futures Now empowers students to develop the skills to succeed in junior high, high school, college, and beyond.

Description:
Each year, Building Futures Now launches an intensive recruitment campaign to identify up to 15 high potential, low-income students of color in the third grade within East Palo Alto, East Menlo Park and neighboring communities. Once accepted to the program, students participate in year-round programming and receive individualized support from full-time staff and committed volunteer tutors and mentors. Program components include: summer program, mentoring, after-school program, field trips, parent workshops and family assistance.

We currently have almost 30 students in two cohorts of fourth and fifth grade.

History:
Building Futures Now emerged from what we have learned over 18 years of working with low-income youth of color in East Palo Alto as part of “I Have a Dream”® – East Palo Alto (www.ihadepa.org). The East Palo Alto chapter of “I Have a Dream”® began in 1992 through the initiative of several graduate students at the Stanford Business School. The first program “adopted” 72 third and fourth graders at Flood School in East Menlo Park. The program was very successful with a 100% high school graduation rate and a college graduation rate of over 70%. In 2001, the program adopted a second cohort of 60 Dreamers who were first graders at Costaño School in East Palo Alto. These students are currently attending Stanford’s East Palo Alto Academy Charter School and private schools within the Bay Area.

Contact person: Alison Upton Lopez, Executive Director, (email)

Address:

PO BOX 1524 Palo Alto, CA 94302

Web Site: http://www.buildingfuturesnow.org

Directions:

Our office is located at 1070 Beech Street, East Palo Alto, CA.

Miscellaneous Information

Besides English, which languages are spoken at your agency?
	Spanish
What is the minimum age for volunteers at your agency?
	16
Is your agency wheelchair accessible?
	No
Does your agency have the capacity to host groups of more than 10?
	Yes
Does your agency have the capacity to host groups of more than 20?
	No

Last updated on November 7, 2009