We envision a world where all youth can realize the fullness of their potential.

About Our Organization

Our goals focus on uplifting the underserved youth throughout the Los Angeles Area to seek and achieve higher life aspirations. Our intention is to stem the tide of academic underachievement and career underrepresentation, which characterize minorities in our society through core programs that focus on youth mentoring and tutoring, scholarship support, and STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) education. We offer an effective combination of volunteers and corporate partnerships, which has allowed us to build, sustain, and grow a staple of excellent programs that continue to change the lives of young students as well as address many socio-economic disparities facing minorities in our community.

Our Mission

The Bridge Builders Foundation’s mission is to remove the barriers of race, poverty, ignorance, and despair through mentoring, educational support, health care awareness, and community uplift.

Black Lives Matter

We must address racism, and the disparate life outcomes and opportunities that exist because of race. The social determinants of racial inequality are seen in health, housing, education, employment, incarceration and criminalization, and life expectancy.

For us, Black Lives Have Always Mattered, it is not an epiphany, nor a revelatory experience. It is a standing mandate that we have worked tirelessly towards for over two decades. So we welcome the discourse, and we are hopeful that this movement extends beyond a moment, and drives our nation forward to a level where all people can realize the fullness of their potential, and all people benefit equally from those “inalienable rights” that our nation was founded upon.

The Bridge Builders Foundation mission is rooted in fulfillment of the ideals of equality. We seek to instill hope, raise aspirations, and improve life trajectories.

Together We Can Make A Difference

Bridge Builders Foundation has emerged as a vehicle for change, and a platform for collective community engagement. Nowhere is this better evidenced than in our pool of talented leaders and volunteers, who work tirelessly to do more, for more. We design, develop and implement programs, and seek partnerships that reduce racial, social and economic barriers for African Americans and people of color.

Our Impact

$887,000 in scholarship awards with graduation rates that far exceed the national average.

69% of students in our Start-to-Finish Salute Scholars Program graduated in 4 years.

National Average for African American Males is 20%; NCES 2020

Over 95,000 total student exposure hours to date, including 100 hours of one-on-one mentoring given to 150 African American and Latinx youth each year.

Over 90% of participants report increased confidence in STEM content. 100% demonstrate increased knowledge of STEM careers and the utility of STEM studies.

Over 30,000 hours of volunteerism dedicated to youth of color in underserved communities.

Over 75% of new participants in our Marine Summer Science Program report having at least one first time experience. Including snorkeling, kayaking, and visiting the beach!

Testimonial

“I am a rising senior at Cal Poly Pomona majoring in Communications with an emphasis in Public Relations and the Bridge Builders Foundation Scholarship Program has been instrumental to my success. I first received my Bridge Builders scholarship as a senior in high school and that was when I joined a family that would support and teach me for years to come. BBF provided me opportunities to finance my education, listen to the perspectives of the upperclassmen I would one day become and see men of color excel in their careers like I hope to in the future. Bridge Builders encouraged me to get involved and four years later I am happy to have led efforts to mentor first-year students of color on my campus, managed clubs and organizations that Cal Poly offers, and completed an internship with CBS Studios. I look forward to working in the entertainment industry post-grad and am thankful that Bridge Builders formed a community that inspired me to create my own path.

— Ethan Robinson Jr.,

Rising Senior at California State Polytechnic University, 2020

Our Programs

Ernest E. Just Science Youth Program

Youth are exposed to instruction and field trip activities across a range of science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) subjects and careers.

Thriving Under The Influence Mentorship and Coaching

Bridge Builders Foundation provides over 100 hours of face-to-face engagement each year to over 150 African American and Latinx boys.

Salute Scholars Program

Multi-layered, start-to-finish program to support college-bound African American
males. This program includes financial support, preparedness, mentorship, tutoring, remediation, coaching, and career advise.

Financial Literacy Public Education

Community Adult Education covering financial basics and strategies, and Youth Education exposing young people to a broad range of financial topics.

Distance Learning Program

Bridge Builders Foundation has expanded its existing school and community-based program engagement to provide a new distance learning platform.

Health Education and Awareness

Programs that include food distribution, toys for children, gifts and field trips for youth in group homes, sports and theater events for teens, and clothing drives for the homeless.

Help us raise money to support the Salute Scholars Program

College Scholarships to allow our students to thrive with financial support and mentorship.

Our goal is to maximize college graduation rates for African American males, which is a problem. To date over $887,000 in scholarships has been awarded. With your support we’re able to annually give 100 students the financial resources to attend college, and provide individual mentorship, coaching, tutoring, and referral support to aid in their academic and professional success.

Community Uplift

Bridge Builders Foundation is committed to our community. In addition to our core programs, throughout the year we engage in programs that include food distribution, toys for children, gifts and field trips for youth in group homes, sports and theater events for teens, and clothing drives for the homeless.