FACES of Orange County 2017

No. 27 Changing the Odds For Kids

Randy Barth, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of THINK TOGETHER

Randy Barth became a social entrepreneur long before the term became vogue. First as a volunteer and then as CEO, Randy led THINK Together through a large-scale expansion from a single community center in Costa Mesa to 422 program sites throughout California.

Today, THINK Together is the trusted partner of 43 school districts seeking to improve academic outcomes for kids. The organization’s programs and services equip students, most of them living in poverty, with the tools they need to succeed. And its school improvement model empowers educators with solutions that transform teaching and learning from the boardroom to the classroom.

“When I started THINK Together twenty years ago, my goal was to work with the local community to put an end to the gangs, drugs and prostitution that were quickly overtaking the neighborhood and the schools. The growth we have seen over the last twenty years is truly unbelievable; we have seen thousands of kids beat the odds. But I know our work is not done until we fundamentally change the odds for all kids.”

2101 East Fourth Street, Suite 200B, Santa Ana | (714) 543-3807 | thinktogether.org

Photograph by Jason Wallis Photography