loanDepot Awards THINK Together $30,000 For Summer Learning Programs In Low-Income Neighborhoods

COSTA MESA, Calif., June 8, 2017/PRNewswire/ -- Leaders from loanDepot, America's lender, presented THINK Together with a check for $30,000raised by loanDepot and its employees to support crucial summer learning programs throughout southern California. The funds, which were raised through a 48-hour employee giving campaign by loanDepot and its employees, will fund programs for 90 students this summer.

The check presentation was held yesterday at the nonprofit's first program site, Shalimar Learning Center in Westside Costa Mesa. THINK Together is a nonprofit organization that partners with schools and communities to pursue educational equity and excellence for all children.

For low-income families, summer is often a time of stress. Unable to afford summer trips or quality enrichment activities, parents often worry about keeping their kids busy and safe. Over the summer, many children lose two to three months of progress in reading and math skills. Known as "summer slide," these learning losses can add up. By 5th grade, summer learning loss can leave many students two-and-a-half to three years behind their peers. A great summer experience can make all the difference.

"At loanDepot, we're very involved and committed to the hundreds of communities in which we live and operate across the country," said Chad Smith, executive vice president direct lending production at loanDepot. "Our employees donate thousands of hours of their personal time, they lead hundreds of local fundraising events and together we make a material difference in the lives of people daily through our philanthropic efforts. We're thrilled to support THINK Together and the meaningful work they do to improve the lives of children in our local schools."

Over the course of 2 days of fundraising, loanDepot's extraordinary employees raised more than $20,000and the company matched it with another $10,000for THINK Together's summer learning programs. During the campaign, employees shared their own experiences with THINK Together. Another nearly $4,000worth of educational supplies were donated to the Shalimar Learning Center location.

"Over the last 20 years, THINK Together has transformed schools and children throughout the state and we have learned that summer learning programs play a crucial role for students living in poverty," said Randy Barth, CEO and founder of THINK Together. "We are grateful to our dedicated corporate sponsors like loanDepot who believe in our goal of educational equity and excellence for all kids. Through their support, we look forward to partnering with more schools to take kids from just beating the odds, to fundamentally changing the odds."

THINK Together's nationally recognized summer program combines academic support with fun activities and field trips that foster learning while creating memorable experiences; with the goal of changing the odds for each student who participates in the program.

About THINK Together

THINK Together partners with schools and communities to pursue educational equity and excellence for all kids. As a nonprofit organization, THINK Together innovates, implements and scales academic solutions that change the odds for hundreds of thousands of Californiastudents. Our program areas include early learning, afterschool, school support services and leadership development for teachers and school administrators. For more information, call (888) 485-THINK or visit www.THINKtogether.org.

About Randy Barth
Founder and CEO, THINK Together and Executive Chairman, Principal's Exchange

Before embarking on a career as an education entrepreneur, Barth had a successful business career for more than twenty years, first as an investment advisor with various major Wall Street firms and later as a corporate CEO. Barth holds a Bachelors in Economics from UCLAand studied under Peter Druckerat the Drucker School of Management at Claremont Graduate University. Along with former LA Times reporter Jennifer Delson, he is the co-author of the best-selling book "Think Together: How YOU can play a role in improving education in America." Randy serves on several boards and as a Senior Fellow at UCLA'sLuskin School of Public Affairs.

THINK Together Contact:
Tracy Carmichael
714-543-3807 x8169
[email protected]

loanDepot Contact:
Lara Wyss
(949) 652-1142
[email protected]

SOURCE THINK Together; loanDepot

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