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Horizons at Saint David's 2020


A Few Members of Horizons at Saint David's Class of 2020 in earlier year of program.

As we proudly celebrate our first graduating class of the Horizons at Saint David's program (most of whom have been with the program since kindergarten), we also reflect on the unique accomplishments that have been achieved amidst a challenging time.

This spring, family engagement rose to new heights and our diligent team, led by Executive Director Hope Lippens, assisted Horizons families to secure necessities that ensured their safety and well-being. We also created the "Horizons at Home" program to encourage continuity in communicating weekly charts of activities to keep students active on all fronts (academic, physical, and arts). As part of this initiative, the "Pen Pal Project" allowed students to send in letters and pictures to their peers.

With the need to run the program virtually this summer, every student had his own device, thanks in large part to our Saint David's community who donated Chromebooks and laptops to the Horizons program.

A constant of our program is the passionate base of young Saint David's School alumni who participate as volunteers during the core activities of the summer (This year, 27 alumni volunteered). In so doing, our weekly themes (relationship building, teamwork, health and wellness, creative thinking, and leadership) moved forward. Re-informing the bond between our high school age alums and our Horizons boys is an essential component to our mission. 

Zoom sports classes continued at least twice per week. Coaches Imbelli and Dominguez brought smiles through the shared screens and promoted good health practices during quarantine time. To complement the activity, “The Relax Room” was offered as a social-emotional learning class to help with daily mindfulness and socialization activities. 

Each week, guest speakers from outside the community added a valuable voice for the boys. These speakers shared stories that inspired our group and brought a diverse array of experience. A special thank you to our Advisory Board members for their aid in coordinating these special events. 


The Horizons at Saint David's summer program began in 2012, as part of Saint David's initiative to contribute to the greater common good. Its mission is to prevent academic slide by providing a rich six-week academic and cultural experience for boys from low-income, diverse families, from kindergarten through eighth grade. For more on the program, visit https://www.sdshorizons.org


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