Peninsula Bridge

Posted on September 23, 2010 11:14 AM

Posted on September 20, 2010 1:18 PM

By Grainger Marburg, Executive Director

Now that students are back in their regular classrooms for the new school year, I want to take a moment to reflect on the 2010 summer program.  I spent a lot of time visiting our program sites this summer.  I sat in classrooms and observed our master teachers and teacher assistants (TAs), met students, and talked with the site directors about the successes and challenges.  It was an important and meaningful thing for me to do.  It reminded me why I do this work and why Peninsula Bridge is so critical.  Nothing is more compelling for the heart and mind than witnessing a child's face transform from self-doubt to joy as she struggles with a math problem and solves it, seeing the pride on a child's face as he answers a tough question, or observing a TA working 1:1 with a student and seeing how much the student appreciates the personal attention and how much the TA is growing and learning from the student.  These are the moments that inspire me.  They are the moments that nourish the teachers and re-energize the site directors who are devoting a big chunk of their summer to the program. This is what inspires them to work with us; this is the common ground we share.

Posted on September 20, 2010 1:05 PM

by Edan Freiberger, St. Matthew's Summer Program TA

From the first day of staff training, I was immediately struck by the enthusiasm, motivation, and passion of my fellow TAs. Our site director, Brendan Gummerson, set the bar high from the moment we walked in the room. However, what has truly separated Peninsula Bridge from other programs and summer camps I have worked for in the past are the kids themselves.  I have never witnessed such impetus to learn at such a young age.  Teaching is frequently said to be a thankless job and people often tell me "Even if the kids don't appreciate it now, you're doing a good thing." However, these students DO appreciate it and appear to cherish every day that they spend here.  I have been asking students what their favorite part of Peninsula Bridge was. I have yet to hear a single student respond by saying, "Recess." Their excitement and motivation makes every day rewarding and extremely fun. Anyone who has the opportunity to be involved in this program will understand my enthusiasm.  Thanks for the great summer, Peninsula Bridge.

Posted on September 20, 2010 12:46 PM

by Anna Paustenbach, Summer Intern

This summer, I was lucky to have the opportunity to be an intern for the Peninsula Bridge program. After three years of being a TA, and then one as the head TA at the Sacred Heart site, I returned to Peninsula Bridge as an intern in the main office.  From this vantage point I began to understand the bigger picture: transitioning from working one-on-one with students in the classroom to understanding the overarching goals and strategies that guide our seven program sites.  This was a great lesson for me in terms of how a community comes together to increase student learning.

Peninsula Bridge is comprised of two communities that are normally separate--the independent school community and the public school families from low-income areas.  It was inspiring to me to see these communities find a way to work together for the betterment of all.  I will never forget what Les DeWitt told me when I interviewed him for a press release I wrote earlier in the summer. He said, "If it takes a village to raise a child, then it takes a community to create and sustain the Peninsula Bridge program." That has stuck with me because it reinforces the vision and power of new communities to make lasting change.

Anna is a Senior at Santa Clara University majoring in English and Religious Studies.

Posted on September 20, 2010 12:29 PM

We are thrilled to welcome Brian O'Kelly as a new member of the Board of Directors.  He learned of Peninsula Bridge when he was researching youth organizations for DPR Foundation, the philanthropic arm of DPR Construction.  Brian encouraged us to apply, we received funding, and along the way we discovered Brian's passion and commitment to local youth. In short, Brian expressed his interest in getting more involved with Peninsula Bridge, impressed our leadership team and is now a new member of our Board.  Since joining our organization Brian has:

Brian holds a Master of Science degree in Civil Engineering from Stanford University and has been in construction for 25 years.  He lives with his wife Christine and their 12 year old son Brian in Belmont.  We welcome his talent and experience which will help move our mission forward in the years ahead.