Empowering Underserved Youth through Education, Athletics, and Wellness at Teens Rise Foundation
Teens Rise Foundation (TRF) is dedicated to promoting education equity and empowering underserved youth with academic, athletic, and wellness experiences that foster lifelong opportunities. By partnering with schools and after-school programs passionate about educational and life opportunities, we deliver programming that enhances college and career readiness, physical education, and mental wellness and targets students from underrepresented groups who face significant barriers to achieving their dreams.
Our signature program, Serves, Scholars, y Salud (SSyS), is strategically designed to address the identified needs of the South Bay community in partnership with Sweetwater Union High School District (SUHSD), San Ysidro School District (SYSD) and Chula Vista Elementary School District (CVESD). This three-tiered program promotes physical wellness, education opportunity, and mental health for students through a comprehensive range of programs.
Serves: TRF supports after-school tennis programs, providing athletic opportunities that many students would not otherwise have due to financial constraints. Reliable and reputable coaches instill confidence, boost self-esteem, and develop personal integrity, leadership, and teamwork in these young athletes.
Scholars: TRF focuses on academic enrichment, offering research-based curriculum and personalized learning platforms to address learning loss gaps, boost academic achievement, and prepare students for success in college and beyond. Our South Bay STEM Scholars program specifically targets two high schools and reaches 2,740 deserving youth with academic resources, early assessments, and targeted interventions informed by student needs.
Salud: TRF prioritizes students' personal, mental, and emotional health through yoga assemblies and mindfulness workshops, addressing barriers to optimal mental health and providing strategies for overall well-being.
As a native of the South Bay and first-generation college student herself, our Executive Director Gabriela "Gaby" Millán is deeply committed to addressing inequalities in resources. With over 15 years of experience in grassroots leadership and resource development, she understands that providing opportunities goes beyond individual students; it's about entire families and communities.
Under her leadership, TRF operates by co-developing and co-creating service delivery systems with the schools we serve, ensuring that our programming meets the unique needs of each student, teacher, and school. We operate in partnership with Title 1 schools, predominantly serving low-income, first-generation Latinx students, to provide culturally relevant experiences that foster lifelong opportunities.
TRF's mission is clear: to level the playing field for disadvantaged youth and become a beacon of hope for those left behind by societal disadvantages. By empowering underserved youth through education, athletics, and wellness, we believe that every student has the potential to rise above their circumstances and achieve their dreams.