JIM BURKE EDUCATION FOUNDATION

The primary goal of the Jim Burke Education Foundation is to continue to develop future community leaders as well as support adolescent education in Kern County. The development and implementation of the projects by the Dream Builders help develop more socially aware, community conscious students who understand that they have the ability to facilitate change in their community through teamwork and cooperation. Their motto is “service over self". They are student leaders today, community leaders tomorrow. In order to continue to grow our program and assist youth, another goal of the foundation is to establish a $1 million endowment fund to support additional educational scholarships.

The Jim Burke Education Foundation will continue to develop, mentor and support youth leaders through the Dream Builders program and the $37,000 in student scholarships we award every year

Through our yearly fundraiser and newsletter, we will continue to raise funds in hopes of reaching our $1 million endowment. It is also a strategy to continue to work with community minded companies to help increase the funds we award students.

The Jim Burke Education Foundation has strong ties to the community and has far reaching alumni that help support our programs and will give us the capability to reach our endowment goal. We have a strong partnership with Jim Burke Ford and long term corporate sponsorship with great community companies such as Aera Energy LLC., Bank of the Sierra, The Garlic Company and Dignity Health Mercy and Memorial Hospitals. We have been fortunate that many of our alumni have come back to make Bakersfield their home and continue to support and help us grow through their contributions and volunteer efforts.

Since the foundation's inception in 1994 we have increased the Foundation's financial support for student scholarships, Mini Grants and community educational programs such as the Superintendent's First in Class Award. Every year students and advisors review and critique our Dream Builders student leadership program. Through their observations we have learned how to help and better serve the youth we mentor. We constantly strive to modify our program format to improve communication and career skills for students. For example, an increase in community advisors at meetings and clear refined goals for students on how to develop their community projects has been implemented. The challenge of this program is taking already busy high school seniors and teaching them the importance of committing to a goal and seeing it through. We have seen over 350 students in the past 11 years grow and complete amazing community projects. Many have come back to us during and after their college years and told us how much the program gave them confidence and helped them in pursuing jobs and grants.

Fiscally, we raise about $55,000 a year in contributions, fundraisers, and investment income. We intend to reach our endowment goal in the next five years through the continuation of our Ghost Party and corporate contributions.