If you could change a child's life for the better, would you?

The Problem:

Across the country, a persistent opportunity gap is hurting our children, families, and communities. Today, 51% of all public school students come from low-income families. By the time low-income students arrive to kindergarten, they are already months behind their more fortunate peers. Low-income students are 6 times more likely to drop out of high school, and fewer than one third of them will enroll in college. It's harder than ever to find a path out of poverty without a college education or technical training. Limited opportunity for any of us means a limited future for all of us.

Solving the Problem:

We believe all children, regardless of income, should have the opportunity to realize their potential. Horizons programs help make that happen. At Horizons Hampton Roads, students thrive. They improve their reading and math skills. They gain confidence. Most of all, they discover a new world of possibilities, things they never thought they could do or achieve.

Results & Impact:

8-12 week gains in reading and math every summer
97% of Horizons high school students graduate
91% go on to college or post-secondary education
Student Story 1:
Z. started at Horizons in kindergarten. For most of her elementary years she regularly got in trouble for being mean to other students and for emotional outbursts. The disruptive home life and abuse that she suffered as a child left her with few tools to deal with the many emotions that she was experiencing, much less to excel academically. But each year as her name came up as part of the discussion about who should be invited back and who shouldn’t, teachers and site directors wouldn’t give up on her even when she gave up on herself. “One more year” they would say. Each year was a struggle but each year there was growth. Z. learned to deal with her emotions in an appropriate manner. She learned to be a leader in her class and she learned that if she really wanted to mentor younger children, she had to be a leader every day. Today she is a freshman in high school. She participates in the Horizons high school program. She keeps in touch regularly with her Horizons teachers and she plans to volunteer this summer.
Student Story 2:
P. barely even showed up for Horizons his first week. He was so afraid and homesick. And he wouldn’t eat any of the food that Horizons provided him each day. As a matter of fact, his mother said, “if you get him to eat one new thing, I will consider the summer a success.” He wouldn’t eat the chicken Alfredo, but he would eat the green beans. He would eat the pizza but not the cereal. He would barely enter the classroom, he was so shy. But they didn’t give up. Slowly but surely his teacher and TA were let into his world one food item and one slow activity at a time. As he began to trust, his world began to expand. At the end of the summer he performed “Party in the USA” cowboy hat and all in the talent show. Horizons transforms lives. By providing a safe and secure place from which to explore children are able to learn both about themselves and the world around them. Horizons is proud of the academic achievements that students earn during our six weeks of happiness but it is the foundational trust, security and other social-emotional components that truly make Horizons a success and the long term commitment to each child that makes it unique.
Our Story:
Horizons is good for the children and Horizons is good for the community. It changes lives. It changes the lives of the children we serve by providing them opportunities for academic growth and for expanding their horizons beyond the limited circumstances into which they were oftentimes born. But Horizons also changes the lives of everyone who comes in contact with the program. Uno’s Pizzeria, one of our catering partners was able to double their catering business because of what they learned while providing nutritious meals for our students. Justin, a young college intern discovered a passion for middle school students and his GPA shot up as a result of this new direction that he found while at Horizons. Sonya, a longtime teacher at Horizons planned to take the summer off to spend time with her biological children but ultimately couldn’t bring herself to stay away from her Horizons family. The love that she experiences and the satisfaction that she receives from touching these lives transforms her own. The support and peace of mind that Horizons provides to parents is immeasurable as we partner with them for the good of their children. There is an African proverb that says it takes a village to raise a child. When the village is actively engaged with each person using their skills/talents/resources for the benefit of its future leaders then both the present and future are enhanced and the whole village is better for it.
By helping low-income students discover the joy of learning, the skills for success, and the inspiration to achieve their dreams, we are transforming lives!