Believe. Achieve. Do Good.
Why? We fight the good fight so that every child has access to success. We inspire kids to believe in themselves, achieve their goals, and do good.
How? We embrace kids for who they are, recognize that each has something to offer, and celebrate these gifts. We wrap kids in layers of personalized academic, cultural, and social programming. We connect kids to new opportunities, helpful programs, and useful resources.
What? Our kids engage positively with their learning and contribute constructively to their schools and other communities.
Since 2006, Bringing Refugees, Immigrants, and Neighbors Gently Into Tomorrow (BRING IT!) has been collaborating with different community stakeholders and the Manchester School District. It is run by community members and seeks to improve the lives of former refugees, immigrants, and neighbors living in Manchester by facilitating access to, and navigation of the resources needed by families to better integrate into and succeed in the community.
BRING IT! is an out of school program that serves 4th to 12th grade students whose families come from 30 countries, and speak just as many languages at home. By empowering, equipping and exposing these students to resources they would otherwise miss, BRING IT! helps close the opportunity gap they face. A hub for the Manchester area beyond drop-in evening programs, BRING IT! has four key focuses: Academic Support, Dance and Performing Arts, Soccer-Fitness and Career Exploration.
ENGAGEMENT
BRING IT! engages students by celebrating their diversity. For example, students in the Dance and Performing Arts program perform to music from their culture which they introduce to their teachers. This gives them a sense of belonging. The environment encourages positive self-esteem by providing students with a space to truly be themselves. The program also helps students who are afraid to join in classroom discussions and exercises, confront the gremlins that prevent them from becoming engaged learners.
CORE TEAM
BRING IT!’s core team are educators and deeply committed community members who know how to work with students from diverse backgrounds. They know when to go deeper to help students dissect issues that are keeping them from excelling.
““In the program, I learned how to take blood pressure, CPR, FIrst Aid care, and most importantly, I learned that I need to believe in myself. If you don’t believe in yourself, you won’t be able to achieve anything.””