The grants support students participating in the Level Up SD summer enrichment program, funded by San Diego Unified School District

SAN DIEGO (June 7, 2022) – The San Diego Foundation announced today that it has awarded $12.3 million in grants to 90 local nonprofit organizations offering hundreds of summer enrichment programs to San Diego Unified School District students benefiting from academic and socio-emotional development opportunities through another summer session of Level Up SD, in partnership with San Diego Unified School District.

“We are inspired by the renewed commitment our nonprofit community has made to San Diego Unified students for free, fun and enriching summer programs for the second summer in a row,” said Pamela Gray Payton, Chief Impact & Partnerships Officer of The San Diego Foundation. “Level Up SD provides opportunities to help thousands of students flourish for the coming school year and experience a summer of learning and joy.”

The Level Up SD afternoon enrichment program is offered in addition to San Diego Unified’s morning summer school program for students who need additional academic support. Level Up SD is open to all K-12 students enrolled for the 2022 – 2023 academic year, meaning thousands of San Diego Unified students can now take advantage of summer school and free activities like learning to build robots or participating in performing arts like dance, music or theater.

“San Diego Unified students will once again have free access to meaningful summer enrichment opportunities because every child deserves a summer of learning and joy,” said Dr. Sharon Whitehurst-Payne, president of the San Diego Unified Board of Education. “All students will have a chance to build memories and experiences at some of San Diego’s iconic venues, including our museums, performing arts institutions, beaches and parks.”

Level Up SD was created last year by the San Diego Unified School District and The San Diego Foundation, thanks to a $31 million commitment by the San Diego Unified Board of Education.

Registration for Level Up SD opened in late May 2021 and continues through July 15. To date, nearly 10,000 students have registered for one of 20,000 available program seats. San Diego Unified students can register through a direct link sent via text message to their parent/guardian.   A full listing of available programs is visible on San Diego Unified’s website at sandiegounified.org.

Local nonprofit organizations offering Level Up SD summer programming include:

  1. A Reason To Survive
  2. Access Youth Academy
  3. Agua Hedionda Lagoon Foundation
  4. Armed Services – YMCA
  5. Barrio Logan College Institute
  6. Bayside Community Center
  7. Bell Middle School Foundation
  8. BIPOC Support Foundation
  9. Birch Aquarium
  10. Boys & Girls Club of Greater San Diego
  11. Central San Diego Black Chamber of Commerce
  12. Cesar Chavez Service Clubs
  13. Chicano Federation of San Diego County
  14. City Heights Community Development Corporation
  15. Classroom of the Future Foundation
  16. Coherent Development Research Institute
  17. County of San Diego – Department of Parks & Recreation
  18. Diamond Educational Excellence Partnership
  19. Diversionary Theatre Productions Inc.
  20. Elementary Institute of Science
  21. Family Health Centers of San Diego
  22. Fern Street Community Arts
  23. First Gen Scholars
  24. Fleet Science Center
  25. Girls Inc. of San Diego County
  26. Girls on the Run San Diego
  27. Groundwork San Diego – Chollas Creek
  28. Guitars in the Classroom
  29. Harmonium Inc.
  30. Heartbeat Music Academy
  31. International Rescue Committee
  32. Junior Achievement of San Diego County
  33. Karen Organization of San Diego
  34. La Jolla Historical Society
  35. La Jolla Playhouse
  36. La Maestra Foundation Inc.
  37. Labrats San Diego
  38. Lawrence Family Jewish Community Center
  39. Leaders of Tomorrow
  40. Leah’s Pantry
  41. Living Coast Discovery Center
  42. Logan Heights Community Development Corporation
  43. Media Arts Center San Diego
  44. Mending Matters
  45. Mid-City CAN
  46. Mingei International Museum
  47. Mira Mesa Instrumental Boosters
  48. Sensory Friendly San Diego
  49. Mission Trails Regional Park Foundation Inc.
  50. Movement Brave Entrepreneur
  51. Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego
  52. Ocean Discovery Institute
  53. Outdoor Outreach
  54. Outside the Lens
  55. Reality Changers
  56. San Diego Air & Space Museum
  57. San Diego Ballet
  58. San Diego County Library
  59. San Diego Guild of Puppetry
  60. San Diego History Center
  61. San Diego Junior Theatre
  62. San Diego Mission Bay Boat and Ski Club
  63. San Diego Natural History Museum
  64. San Diego Oasis
  65. San Diego Parks Foundation
  66. San Diego State University Foundation
  67. SAY San Diego
  68. SBCS
  69. Scripps Research Institute
  70. Sherman Heights Community Center
  71. STEAM – University of San Diego
  72. Synergy Foundation Inc.
  73. The Blue Heart Foundation
  74. The Ed Ladder
  75. The League of Amazing Programmers
  76. Three Treasures Cultural Arts Society
  77. transcenDANCE Youth Arts Project
  78. Treobytes
  79. Trinity One Theatre Troupe Inc
  80. CREATE – UCSD
  81. Union of Pan Asian Communities (UPAC)
  82. United Women of East Africa Support Team
  83. VISMO – University of San Diego
  84. UPLIFT
  85. VAPA Foundation
  86. YMCA of San Diego County
  87. Youth Empowerments Finest
  88. Youth Philharmonic Orchestra
  89. Youth Tennis San Diego
  90. Zoological Society of San Diego

About Level Up SD

Created in summer 2021 by the San Diego Unified School District and The San Diego Foundation, Level Up SD features in-person classroom instruction in the mornings at neighborhood schools with San Diego Unified teachers and afternoon summer activities offered by dozens of nonprofits in communities across the city. There is no cost to families for the classroom instruction or the activities, thanks to a $31 million commitment by the San Diego Unified Board of Education. To be eligible for #LevelUpSD, students must be enrolled in San Diego Unified for the 2022-2023 school year.

About The San Diego Foundation

The San Diego Foundation inspires enduring philanthropy and enables community solutions to improve the quality of life in our region. Our strategic priorities include advancing racial and social justice, fostering equity of opportunity, building resilient communities, and delivering world-class philanthropy to realize our vision of just, equitable and resilient communities. For more than 46 years, The Foundation and its donors have granted more than $1.3 billion to support nonprofit organizations strengthening our community. Learn more at SDFoundation.org.

Contact

Lorena Nava Ruggero, The San Diego Foundation, lruggero@sdfoundation.org, (619) 814-1365