Collective Impact for Positive Change

Rosemary Grier is being honored as a Champion of Change for her commitment to delivering on the promise of Head Start in her community, helping to educate and care for our youngest, most vulnerable children. 

Innovation and creative thinking continues to drive the Baraga-Houghton-Keweenaw Child Development Board (BHK) as a leader in providing high-quality early childhood services to children and families. BHK families are offered opportunities to be involved with and gain knowledge about interactive literacy experiences, dual language, parenting skills, child development, and adult education. Our programs help families connect to health and wellness services, including pregnancy education, breast feeding support, home visiting, health and developmental screenings, and medical and dental care. BHK collaborates with 10 local school districts and more than 300 community partners.

From Singapore to San Francisco

“Tales of Excellence, Achievement and Mentorship” or “TEAM” is a weekly series partnered with StudentMentor.org where we feature college students and young Americans from diverse backgrounds across the country who are using mentorships to move their career and educational goals forward. You will hear in their own words how mentors have helped them succeed and transform into the leaders of tomorrow.

Through StudentMentor.org, college students can conveniently find and collaborate with mentors to successfully graduate from college and embark on their desired careers.

Jason journeyed from Singapore in 2008 hoping to overcome language and cultural barriers to be successful in the US. The transition was tough but with the help of financial aid Jason made his college dreams a reality and is now attending San Francisco State University. After being introduced to StudentMentor.org by a friend, Jason decided to reach out and seek career advice from a professional in his field. He and his mentor have shared several conversations and it has helped Jason see his future more clearly. Through StudentMentor.org, he accessed the professional advice he needed to excel. 

My name is Jason Au, a third year finance student at San Francisco State University. I was born in Hong Kong and grew up in Singapore. I moved to the United States from Singapore in 2008 and attended Castro Valley High School. I am the first in my family to attend college and my brother is currently a freshman at UCLA. The transition from Singapore was tough; I had to overcome language and cultural barriers. Although I had been educated in English since I was little, I still found it difficult in the beginning to adjust to a whole new environment. My family is not well off and I am fortunate to receive financial aid in order to attend college. I have worked since the summer of my freshman year, but I was fortunate enough to find internships and jobs that I was interested in.

Key Federal Agencies Collaborate to Provide Funding and Support for Rural America

On Tuesday, June 12, three federal agencies announced a new project to assist high-need rural areas facing chronic poverty along the U.S.-Mexico border. This new project is part of a series of initiatives delivered through the White House Rural Council, which recently released a report detailing the steps President Obama and this administration have taken to support rural America.

The Border Community Capital Initiative (“Border Initiative”) is a collaborative effort among the Department of Agriculture-Rural Development (USDA-RA), Department of Treasury’s Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFI), and the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). These three federal agencies signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) and, together, will increase economic development activity at a community level throughout these high need areas, known as colonias.

Colonias are communities within 150 miles of the U.S.-Mexico border. These high-need communities frequently lack fundamental resources such as sanitary housing, access to potable water, and adequate sewage systems. Under the Border Initiative, up to $200,000 will be made available to nonprofit and tribal financial institutions serving colonias. These funds will be used for direct investment and technical assistance focused on providing access to valuable resources that these communities lack.

Previous federal programs with similar goals have faced significant barriers in implementation, such as limited capacity among organizations serving colonias and a lack of stable funding available to them. The Border Initiative is tailored to correct for this by directing funds toward improving the capacity of local financial institutions to raise capital and increase lending; and boosting investment in their communities.