The year has flown by. Looking back reveals that Urban Angels SF has had its greatest impact in its 9-year history. Looking forward, our most important mission awaits, Rise Up SF, supporting the education of underserved children in grades 1 – 4 in San Francisco.
How bad is it? Nearly 50% of the children in the San Francisco Unified School District are not reading proficient. This is disproportionately true for children from unhoused and low income families. Children who are not reading at grade level by 5th grade will probably not graduate from high school, and they will then be on a path of low-income employment, frequent unemployment, homelessness and possible involvement with the criminal justice system.
The need is urgent. Children who are not at grade level reading by 5th grade are unlikely to graduate from high school and will then be relegated to low paying jobs, frequently unemployed, 450% more likely to experience homelessness and face potential involvement with the criminal justice system.
Those who are reading at grade level by the 5th grade will perform better in all their subjects, will exhibit better emotional engagement, will have lower absenteeism and are likely to graduate from high school. From there the sky is the limit.
In 2025, Urban Angels SF is partnering with two established organizations, Air Reading and MHDC, to bring the most effective reading tutoring program to 120 of San Francisco’s most underserved youth in grades 1 to 4.
This high-impact, high-benefit program can raise a child’s reading level by two grades in just one year of tutoring! The students will be tutored for one session for an hour a day, 4 days per week for 10 weeks! All the tutors are paid, certified teachers. The tuition is $720 ($18 per class).
Urban Angels SF needs to raise $50,000 now to fund the first stage of Rise Up SF. In 2025, we aim to raise $300,000 more to achieve reading proficiency for 120 students.
Supporting the education of these underserved children is the best way to lift them out of the cycle of poverty.
Your support is more than a donation — it is an investment in a future where every child has the tools to succeed academically and thrive.
