Tutoring & Learning

With perhaps the highest concentration of wealth among California’s big cities, San Francisco also records the largest achievement gap (based on standardized test scores) between Whites & Asians on one side and African-American, Latino and Pacific Islanders on the other, even despite the school district’s relatively “progressive” budgetary policies. Congregations can embrace, and restore a love of learning in the young people of a broken public school system.

Grace Educational Mentors

Grace Educational Mentors (GEMs) takes place in a sanctuary-turned-tutoring-center, where congregants leave work early to spend an afternoon with children and youth from elementary and middle schools across the city through the GEMs afterschool program. While homework help is a central activity, tutors also employ the use of worksheets, manipulatives, and computer resources to focus on specific skills. Perhaps most importantly, kids build lasting relationship with many “uncles and aunties” and peers that create a safe environment of spiritual support and academic accountability.See the photos

Urban Adventures

Urban Adventures (UA) is an educational field trip where young people, and their parents, can together learn about the rich and colorful history of San Francisco, and the many churches throughout the years that have cared for their respective communities in the name of Christ. Whether it is the merciful work of Catholic nuns in the wake of the 1906 earthquake, or the provision of services and advocacy among immigrants during the difficult years of the Chinese Exclusion Act at the turn of the century, families are told invaluable stories of God’s work through His people.See the photos

PrYSM

PrYSM (currently in hiatus) stands for “preparing youth to serve in the marketplace,” a youth employment training program that emphasizes the service of others, rather than self-serving career-ism, as central to one’s vocational life. Participants receive not only practical experience in resume-writing, interviewing, and workplace etiquette, but also hands-on work experience in local corporations and nonprofits. Finally, youth are exposed to a variety of professions through congregation members who host visits at their places of work, and give testimony of how their faith shapes their vocation.See the photos