From Potential to Power
WATCH THE VIDEO BELOW OR CLICK HERE.
On April 23, Battery Powered members packed the Parlor to meet the 10 outstanding organizations that make up our Education Continuum portfolio — a group tackling barriers to student success from early childhood through college and career.
We began where so much of learning begins: in the home and the community. Ana Avilez of MEDA kicked off the evening with a powerful and personal portrait of how the Mission Promise Neighborhood initiative supports entire families, setting children on a path to academic success. Next, Dr. Anya Hurwitz of SEAL showed us what it looks like to center multilingual learners in school systems that too often treat home languages as a barrier rather than an asset.
We then turned to the challenge of 3rd grade literacy, where so many young students fall off track. San Francisco Education Fund CEO Ann Levy Walden spoke about aligning science-of-reading-based tutoring with San Francisco Unified School District goals, while Reading Partners’ Hong Thach shared how their one-on-one literacy model reaches students in under-resourced schools across the Bay Area.
From 3rd grade we jumped to 4th, thanks to Peninsula Bridge CEO Randi Shafton. Her team makes a remarkable 13-year commitment to students, nurturing them through middle school, high school, and into college. The middle school years took center stage next, with Aim High CEO Jesus Galindo and Oakland Genesis Co-Executive Director Cody Pillon spotlighting programs that honor the transformative potential of early adolescence — combining academics, enrichment, and belonging to help students grow into their best selves.
The evening’s final stretch took us through high school and into early adulthood. Junior Achievement of Northern California’s Duane Wilson emphasized the urgency of equipping teens with the financial tools to navigate a complex world. Fresh Lifelines for Youth’s Luc Gnamien showed how restorative justice and mentorship can keep justice-involved youth connected to school, their goals, and their power to choose their own path. Finally, College Track CEO Dr. Shirley Collado closed the night with a testament to the decades-long journey of helping first-generation students not only get to college, but thrive once there.
As always, the Open House that followed allowed members to dive deeper, ask questions, and connect with the presenters and their powerful work.
Next we turn to Allocation Week, where your votes will help determine how Battery Powered’s grants are distributed across this exceptional portfolio. Allocation Week kicks off with Drinks & Discourse on May 7 and culminates with our end-of-theme Allocation Night celebration on May 15 in the Penthouse.