Community
THE BLUE HEART FOUNDATION Helping Our Young Black Men Go To College
The Blue Heart
Foundation empowers underserved Black youth in grades 7 through 12 to pursue a college education . Since its inception in 2013 , the Foundation has served 450 young Black men and impacted over 10,000 individuals , families , organizations , businesses and schools in San Diego County . With a 100 % college acceptance rate , they have successfully helped their young men graduate from high school and go to college .
The Blue Heart Foundation gives our young Black men a platform to find their voice , understand themselves and become the next generation of leaders for San Diego .” – Andrew Strong , Director of Equity & Racial Justice for the County of San Diego
When the pandemic forced Blue Heart to cease in-person programming , its members lost a variety of opportunities – college visits , public speaking events , field trips and internship
Blue Heart Foundation 2021 Graduating Seniors
workshops and peer mentoring . experiences . Despite the mental , emotional and academic impact of shifting to remote learning , the young men of Blue Heart continued their commitment to college preparation . Blue Heart pivoted to an online structure , offering a weekly curriculum , professional speakers , STEM ( Science , Technology , Engineering , and Math )
The Blue Heart Foundation is a proud advocate for
African American males to have access to positive life outcomes . While we understand there are various pathways to success , at Blue Heart we expose young men of color to non-athletic pathways that lead to careers of the future . We are grateful to both our partners and parents who entrust us with the lives of their children and resources that sustain our work .” – Staci Dent , Blue Heart Foundation Board Member
Blue Heart also launched Mindful Heart , a mental health and emotional wellness program to promote mindfulness and to address anxiety , depression and emotional stability – issues at times left unattended in the Black community .
50 GBSAN . COM | MAY 2021