Bridge 2 Hope Parent Institute

WE ARE AN ORGANIZATION THAT CHAMPIONS FOR ALL CHILDREN AND FAMILIES. BRIDGE 2 HOPE (B2H) CONNECTS, EQUIPS, AND ENGAGES UNDERREPRESENTED PARENTS AND CAREGIVERS TO ADVOCATE FOR QUALITY EDUCATION FOR ALL CHILDREN. PARENTS SEE THE IMPACT OF HOW OUR CURRENT EDUCATION SYSTEMS DO NOT SERVE ALL CHILDREN WELL. PARENTS OFTEN FEEL ALONE IN THE STRUGGLE AND OVERWHELMED BY THE MAGNITUDE OF THE PROBLEM, BUT WE KNOW THEY HOLD THE POWER. OUR ORGANIZATION EQUIPS FAMILIES TO KNOW HOW TO NAVIGATE THE EDUCATION SYSTEM, KNOW WHAT GRADE LEVEL THEIR CHILDREN ARE ON AND HOW TO ACCESS THE SUPPORT NEEDED IN ORDER FOR THEIR CHILDREN TO SUCCEED. OUR COLLECTIVE WORK IS TO BUILD A MOVEMENT OF FAMILIES THAT WILL HOLD THE PUBLIC EDUCATION SYSTEM ACCOUNTABLE AND DEMAND CHANGE.

WE ARE AN ORGANIZATION THAT CHAMPIONS FOR ALL CHILDREN AND FAMILIES.BRIDGE 2 HOPE (B2H) CONNECTS, EQUIPS, AND ENGAGES UNDERREPRESENTED PARENTS AND CAREGIVERS TO ADVOCATE FOR QUALITY EDUCATION FOR ALL CHILDREN. PARENTS SEE THE IMPACT OF HOW OUR CURRENT EDUCATION SYSTEMS DO NOT SERVE ALL CHILDREN WELL. PARENTS OFTEN FEEL ALONE IN THE STRUGGLE AND OVERWHELMED BY THE MAGNITUDE OF THE PROBLEM, BUT WE KNOW THEY HOLD THE POWER. OUR ORGANIZATION EQUIPS FAMILIES TO KNOW HOW TO NAVIGATE THE EDUCATION SYSTEM, KNOW WHAT GRADE LEVEL THEIR CHILDREN ARE ON AND HOW TO ACCESS THE SUPPORT NEEDED IN ORDER FOR THEIR CHILDREN TO SUCCEED. OUR COLLECTIVE WORK IS TO BUILD A MOVEMENT OF FAMILIES THAT WILL HOLD THE PUBLIC EDUCATION SYSTEM ACCOUNTABLE AND DEMAND CHANGE.OUR VISION IS THAT EVERY CHILD HAS ACCESS TO AN EDUCATION THAT OFFERS CHOICES AND PATHWAYS WHICH WILL ALLOW THEM TO MAXIMIZE THEIR FULL POTENTIAL. WE BELIEVE THAT OUR CHILDREN, FAMILIES AND HOW WE POUR LIFE INTO THEM WILL CONTRIBUTE TO HOW WE SHIFT OUR COMMUNITIES TOWARDS LONG LASTING POSITIVE SYSTEMIC EDUCATIONAL CHANGE. OUR MISSION AT BRIDGE 2 HOPE IS TO EQUIP, CONNECT AND ENGAGE UNDERREPRESENTED PARENTS AND CAREGIVERS TO ADVOCATE FOR A QUALITY EDUCATION FOR ALL CHILDREN. AS PARENTS, WE SEE THE IMPACT OF THIS REALITY, BUT OFTEN DO NOT KNOW WHERE TO BEGIN. FACING SUCH A PERSISTENT CRISIS, IT CAN BE HARD TO ENVISION WHAT OUR KIDS DESERVE AND TO KNOW HOW TO INFLUENCE CHANGE. WE CAN FEEL ALONE IN THIS STRUGGLE, OVERWHELMED BY THE MAGNITUDE OF THE PROBLEM, AND DISCONNECTED FROM THE TREMENDOUS POWER WE HOLD. BUT THE REALITY IS THAT DEEP, ENDURING CHANGE IN ST. LOUIS CAN AND WILL COME WHEN WE DEMAND AND HELP SHAPE IT AS ACTIVE PARTNERS. OUR DEEP KNOWLEDGE OF OUR CHILDREN AND COMMITMENT TO THEIR LONG-TERM SUCCESS IS A CRITICAL INGREDIENT TO TRANSFORMING OUR EDUCATION SYSTEM. IF WE CAN REFUSE EXCUSES, TAP INTO OUR AGENCY, AND LINK ARMS WITH CHANGEMAKERS IN OUR COMMUNITY, WE CAN CREATE A FUNDAMENTALLY DIFFERENT FUTURE FOR OUR CITY. BRIDGE 2 HOPE AIMS TO SHIFT THE MINDSETS OF MY COMMUNITY TO KNOW THAT A BETTER TOMORROW IS ACHIEVABLE. IN THE NEXT DECADE, I PICTURE SCHOOLS THAT DELIVER ON EQUITY AND ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT AND PREPARE OUR STUDENTS TO CHART THE FUTURES THEY DREAM OF. I ENVISION A CITY THAT DOESN'T JUST TALK ABOUT CARING FOR OUR KIDS BUT MAKES DECISIONS THAT REFLECT THAT LOVE. WE WANT TO MAKE THE EDUCATION SYSTEM FAIR FOR EVERY CHILD, NO MATTER WHERE THEY COME FROM OR WHAT THEIR SITUATION IS. WE ENVISION A DAY WHEN ALL CHILDREN HAVE THE SAME ACCESS TO RESOURCES, OPPORTUNITIES AND SUPPORT AS CHILDREN WHO COME FROM FAMILIES WITH WEALTH. OUR KIDS WILL ATTEND SCHOOLS THAT HAVE QUALIFIED TEACHERS, SAFE AND WELCOMING ENVIRONMENTS, ADVANCED TECHNOLOGIES AND EXTRACURRICULAR ACTIVITIES AND PROGRAMS THAT PROMOTE ACADEMIC AND SOCIAL EMOTIONAL GROWTH. WE'RE WORKING HARD TO MAKE THAT HAPPEN. I BELIEVE THAT THIS IS HEART WORK AND B2H WAS NOT JUST AN ORGANIZATION THAT I FOUNDED, I KNOW I WAS CALLED TO THIS WORK. WE ARE DEEPLY MOTIVATED BY OUR FAITH, BUILDING STRONG RELATIONSHIPS AND DOING THE WORK WITH THE COMMUNITY AND NOT FOR THEM. WE BELIEVE THAT EDUCATION SUSTAINABILITY IS AS ESSENTIAL AS ECONOMICS AND THEY BOTH AFFECT EACH OTHER IF THERE IS A LACK OF WISDOM ON HOW TO NAVIGATE IN EITHER SYSTEM. I STRONGLY BELIEVE THAT LITERACY IS A RIGHT FOR CHILDREN NO MATTER THE STATUS, BACKGROUND, OR COLOR. WE INVEST INTENTIONALLY IN THE PEOPLE WE SERVE THROUGH OUR STRATEGIC PROGRAMMING, WORKSHOPS, TOWN HALLS AND CAMPAIGNS THAT HELP THE DEVELOPMENT OF INDIVIDUALS, FAMILIES, CHILDREN AND COMMUNITIES TOWARDS TANGIBLE ATTAINABLE OUTCOMES FOR THEIR CHILDREN IN K-12. WE BELIEVE FAMILY EDUCATION, FAMILY FOUNDATION AND HEALTHIER FAMILY UNITS WILL BE THE RESULTS OF A WELL INFORMED AND EQUIPPED AND CONNECTED COMMUNITY. FOR US AT BRIDGE 2 HOPE, WE SAW OUR PRIMARY MODES OF COMMUNICATION, ORGANIZING AND CONNECTING SHIFTS OVERNIGHT. THE WORK WE DO IS TRULY HEART WORK. WE MEET PARENTS, CAREGIVERS AND COMMUNITY MEMBERS WHERE THEY ARE. WE LEARN ABOUT WHAT KEEPS THEM UP AT NIGHT AND WORK TOGETHER TO IGNITE AND ACTIVATE THEM TO DEMAND BETTER! OUR SCHOOL IS INSTRUMENTAL IN HELPING OUR CHILDREN BUILD THE STRONG PATHWAYS THAT LEAD THEM TO ACADEMIC AND LIFE SUCCESS. OUR MISSION HAS NOT CHANGED, BUT THE WAY WE ACHIEVE IT CERTAINLY HAS.SINCE JUNE OF 2020, WE HAVE EDUCATED 296 PARENTS THROUGH OUR PUBLIC PARENT ADVOCACY FELLOWSHIP. WE HAVE EVOLVED OUR LEARNING SPACE AND WE HAVE NOW EQUIPPED, CONNECTED AND ENGAGED 98 PARENTS THROUGH OUR NEW PARENT EDUCATION ADVOCACY ACADEMY (PEAA). WE HAVE CONNECTED WITH OVER 4,000 PARENTS, GRANDPARENTS AND COMMUNITY MEMBERS. WE WERE A SMALL MIGHTY TEAM, BUT OUR TEAM HAS GROWN FROM 3 TO 19 IN THE LAST 3 YEARS, AND I CAN SAY EACH AND EVERY TEAM MEMBER IS COMMITTED TO THE FAMILIES WE SERVE AND THE MISSION AND VISION OF B2H. MOST IMPORTANTLY WE CONNECT WITH THE PEOPLE CLOSEST TO THE PROBLEM AND CENTER THEIR NEEDS FIRST. BASED ON FAMILY CONCERNS, WE ADJUSTED OUR TOOLKIT, CHANGED AND IMPROVED OUR APPROACH TO ORGANIZING AND THROUGHOUT THE REMAINDER OF 2023 AND WELCOMING 2024 WITH THE MOTTO, "EXECUTION MOVING IN EXCELLENCE" WITH "INTEGRITY" IN MIND.WE ARE SO GRATEFUL TO HAVE BEEN HONORED AND CHOSEN TO BE A PART OF THE FOLLOWING IMPACTFUL ORGANIZATION'S MENTORING PROGRAMS: - FOCUS ST. LOUIS-LEADERSHIP ST. LOUIS CURRENT COHORT FELLOW- CAMELBACK FELLOW ALUMNI - POWERFUL PARENT MOVEMENT MEMBER - ST. LOUIS MAGAZINE / SAINT LOUIS WOMEN CELEBRATING 75 + LEADERS WHO MAKE STL GREAT THE MICHAEL BROWN SR CHOSEN FOR CHANGE 2023'S HONOREE - HONORING EDUCATORS WHO HAVE MADE A SIGNIFICANT IMPACT IN THE COMMUNITY THROUGH EDUCATION AND ADVOCACY.