Key programmatic elements include:
- Nourishment and Play
- Academic Foundations
- Creative Exploration
- Social and Emotional Learning
Youth connect with their peers and use their imagination all while building dexterity, as well as physical, cognitive and emotional strength.
This time typically includes a snack and structured playtime with social and emotional learning themes.
Early childhood learners focus on foundational concepts including identifying numbers, counting, listening and vocabulary.
Youth in Grades 1-5 work on their assigned homework each day with the leadership and support of site staff.
Youth practice using their creativity to solve problems, make choices, build digital fluency and persist through challenges. Multiple nine-week units are designed to align to district marking periods and can be customized to meet the needs of individual campuses. All units utilize culturally responsive pedagogy, creative problem solving and an array of art forms.
Youth develop and recognize their strengths in five key categories: self management, self awareness, responsible decision-making, social awareness, and relationship skills.
Impact of thriving minds
1625
Youth served annually
237530
Student learning hours annually
48%
of students improved their math grades
49%
of students improved their reading grades
87%
of students demonstrate teacher reported improvements in behavior
48%
of students see positive gains on overall social and emotional learning
Program in Action
Thriving Minds works closely with campus administrators to make sure that youth are involved in designing agreements for how staff and students will treat one another. At Daniel Webster Elementary, they developed “The Wildcat Way”. Students share what that means with through song and dance…
Meet Mr. Kendall
Kendall Pidgeon is a dancer, a singer and a site coordinator at Nathan Evans after school program. Mr. Kendall has been with Big Thought since the summer of 2012 and loves the opportunity to impact students’ lives every day.
Meet Miss Crystal
Through her work with Big Thought, Zapien says it is her privilege to assist in providing resources, support, and opportunities to marginalized youth.
