My experience with BASIC (Basic Assistance to Students in the Community) has been nothing short of transformative for my family. As a parent of three children—one with Autism, another with severe ADHD, and a seven-year-old—finding resources to nurture their growth and learning has been a challenge. Thanks to BASIC, I’ve been able to introduce my children to a wide variety of books that I couldn’t have afforded on my own. These books have become an essential part of our daily lives, accompanying us everywhere we go.
The program has opened doors for my children, sparking their curiosity and fostering a love for reading that will have a lasting impact on their future. I am deeply grateful to Nidia Meza for introducing me to the Borrego Springs BASIC Program, on that cold night over her champurrado fundraiser. Yummy! And to BASIC for providing such invaluable support to families like mine and for making a real difference in our lives. Their commitment to empowering youth and adults in Borrego Springs is truly inspiring, and I cannot thank them enough for helping my children reach their potential.
Sincerely,
JMJuarez and Kid's
BASIC is a cornerstone of our Borrego Springs community, providing invaluable educational resources and support for our residents. Their programs, from early childhood education to college scholarships, empower individuals to reach their full potential. By investing in BASIC, we're investing in the future of our town. I'm proud to contribute annually.
As a donor to BASIC (Basic Assistance to Students in the Community), I’m incredibly proud to support an organization that makes such a meaningful difference. Knowing that my contributions are helping to fund programs like the Latino Family Literacy Project, which equips families with tools to support their children's literacy, gives me immense satisfaction. It’s inspiring to see how BASIC not only enhances students' educational abilities but also strengthens family bonds through shared learning.
BASIC’s commitment to providing scholarships, grants, and programs that empower youth and adults in Borrego Springs is truly commendable. As a donor, I feel like my investment is directly impacting the lives of students, helping them reach their potential and pursue their dreams. Supporting BASIC has been one of the most rewarding decisions I’ve made, and I look forward to continuing my partnership with this incredible organization!
BASIC is an organization that has one mission - support the educational objectives of the residents of Borrego Springs so that they can achieve their goals and reach their potential. I believe that education is the foundation of our democracy and I know that the BASIC mission, strategy and programs all relate to education.
BASIC has been in existence for more than 30 years, and I have been a volunteer, officer or Board Member of the organization for all that time. Over this period BASIC has gone from only offering scholarships for higher and vocational education to an organization that has programs that support educational objectives from cradle to graduation. Research has shown that students often fall behind at critical junctures on the path to high school graduation, and that those students do not achieve their potential, often do not graduate from high school, and usually do not achieve their earning potential. The BASIC Cradle to Graduation strategy and programs are based on this research information. So BASIC now offers the Latino Family Literacy Program to help parents and families build a culture of reading regularly to their children from birth. This program is supported by a gift of a tablet computer loaded with educational games and activities to improve kindergarten readiness for the children in our local families. The Dolly Parton Imagination Library program provides age-appropriate books monthly to the home for children from birth till their fifth birthday. BASIC understands how important reading and learning to read is as a foundation for children's success. If children are not performing to grade level BASIC's Learning Academy provides 100 hours of support education through the summer Learning Academy program. It's a totally free program that supports learning to read for students in second and third grades, improvement in elementary and middle school math for elementary and middle schoolers, and English Language Development for middle school children. Very small class sizes support individual learning and fun enrichment activities increase the love of learning for the students. Students who are going on to vocational and higher education programs continue to be supported with BASIC scholarships and mentoring through the higher education experience. All of these programs demonstrate that BASIC cares about the residents of Borrego Springs, CA and that caring is not enough; BASIC takes action to help residents improve their futures and reach their potential.
I have worked with BASIC all these years because I have seen how these programs make a difference for individuals in our community.
BASIC, a nonprofit organization based in my hometown of Borrego Springs, has been a cornerstone of our community for over 20 years. With a deep commitment to education and literacy, BASIC has consistently provided opportunities and support to countless individuals and families, helping to shape brighter futures for all involved.
As someone who has benefited from BASIC's unwavering support, I can attest to their transformative impact on the lives of those they serve. Through their generous scholarships, I was able to pursue my undergraduate education, ultimately graduating Summa Cum Laude (with honors). This achievement, which would not have been possible without BASIC’s financial assistance, opened doors to numerous opportunities and set me on a path to success.
But BASIC's support didn’t end there. As I continued my academic journey by pursuing a master’s degree, BASIC once again stepped in to help fund this next chapter of my education. Their belief in my potential and continued investment in my future has been humbling and inspiring.
After completing my undergraduate degree, I was fortunate to join BASIC as a staff member. Today, I have the privilege of working alongside a dedicated team to run literacy programs, write grants, and mentor college students—many of whom are walking a path similar to the one I once traveled. The work we do at BASIC is not just about providing resources; it’s about creating a supportive community where every individual has the opportunity to thrive.
BASIC’s commitment to education, community, and empowerment has not only shaped my life but has also had a profound impact on Borrego Springs as a whole. For over two decades, BASIC has been a beacon of hope, offering the tools and support needed for individuals to reach their full potential. I am proud to be a part of this incredible organization and look forward to continuing to contribute to its mission of making a lasting difference in our community.
Our local Little Free Library literacy group has lunchtime book giveaways at the Borrego Elementary and Middle schools. The kids are so excited to choose as many free books as they like from the 100’s offered. The children who are learning to read in English and at their grade level are the most excited to join their friends in the “book party”. Basic is the very best program for getting kids up to grade level. With a bigger budget and more donations, even more local children could be helped. The families are supportive and proud of the progress that their kids are making in a challenging school environment. For a child to do well in school, they need to feel success and hopeful progress…. which Basic offers in a stress-free, kid-friendly setting. Our literacy group will support Basic in every way. Linda Stanley, Borrego Springs "Borrego Reads" group
BASIC has played a vital role in my life. In 2014, I became a BASIC Scholarship recipient, which allowed me to pursue a career in education. Becoming a BASIC Scholarship recipient, allowed me to focus on my education without worrying about financial expenses. In 2018, I graduated San Francisco State University with a Bachelor's degree in Liberal Studies, minor in Special Education, and the Magna Cum Laude honor. After completing my undergrad, BASIC supported my decision to attend graduate school and obtain a Multiple Subject Teaching Credential and Bilingual Authorization. These accomplishments wouldn’t have been possible without the support and financial assistance from BASIC.
After obtaining my teaching credential, I became the Reading Teacher for the BASIC Summer Learning Academy. As the reading teacher, I seen students become fluent readers, acquire word automaticity (sight word recognition), and become skillful writers. This program is AMAZING becomes it provides students with individualized instruction due to the small class size / teacher-student ration. Students who attend this program show an increase in self-esteem and become confident readers, writers, and spellers.
BASIC thank you for all the support you given me. I hope you continue supporting other students for many many many more years! So they, too, can achieve their goals.
I have been on the board of BASIC for over 10 years. It is the most valuable gift that I have been able to give this community of Borrego Springs. As a 40 year educator and principal, I know and value the importance of education for each and every student. When I asked to become involved with BASIC many years ago, we provided college scholarships to students. That was our specific goal. During the tenure that I have served on the board, we have expanded this so much.
Dolly Parton library was added a number of years ago . We saw the value of having our students have books in their hands from birth to five and appreciate the Dolly Parton value this as well. Her program is so accepted now we only have to pay half of the fees as the state of California also recognizes that providing kids with these books is important and they are as well.
The biggest addition was made eight years ago when we began our first summer Academy. It was a huge undertaking and required pure procuring a number of grants to make it happen. In the beginning, it was only reading, but recognizing the needs of our community, we knew this needed to be expanded to meet the needs of kids, struggling with math writing, and those still identified as second language learners. The students who have attended have all benefited in many ways. We are able to document this through pre-and post testing and evaluate the progress that they have made.
Our community is a struggling one, but with organization like BASIC making such a difference in our students lives, we know we can change the Trajectory of the lives of many of our students. What could be better than that?
Over two years ago my partner and I moved to Borrego Springs to serve a local congregation. Talking to the many volunteers at community events one kept getting praise from leaders and the families participating in the Learning Academy that BASIC held annually. Families were often eager to be a part of it, having seen the progress in the children. BASIC also recently started another program to encourage and support parents to read to children, providing understandable and reasonable applications for reaching for those books after work. Working in a position that serves the community, it is wonderful to see an organization lifting such a heavy obstacle from the educational paths of children and their families. My partner and I love volunteering and rounding up volunteers when BASIC has events.
To Whom It May Concern,
My Name is Esmeralda Lopez-Garcia, I am a mother of a BASIC ACADEMY student in Borrego
Springs, my daughter has attended the reading program at BASIC and there are not enoug
great things I can say.
My Daughter Mia has a BIG imagination and loves books, she had the basics down, but I could
still tell as well as her teacher that she "made up" most of the story to compensate what she
could not read, being a working mom I was not always able to provide all the support she
needed nor was I able to pinpoint what she needed, the BASIC program did just that!! The
weeks she spent at BASIC in the reading program gave her the tools and support she needed to
reach her grade level, she went from reading below when she left for summer, into her age
group after BASIC ACADEMY, and when school started, she began to read above grade level with
the highest growth in AR Reading when the school year ended, she now loves to read • just to
READ!! Her imagination is bigger and BASIC taught her to break down the story one chapter at a
time.
Now selected to attend BASIC ACADEMY for Math, we are looking forward (both her and I) to
the great support and tools she will gain by attending. Middle school 61
h grade Math is the
challenge that as a student my daughter is now facing, BASIC is the extra TOOL our students
need to become better students.
My favorite part of BASIC as a parent is that it makes learning FUN the kids go without the
pressure of it being "School" to them BASIC is where they get free breakfast, help with Math or
Reading, and a gift at completion that for them is fun but for us as parents it's a tool that helps
prepare them for the academic challenge of high school that is yet to come.
The students at BASIC get that extra push to help them through the areas that are most needed
to learn and become better students, it's done in a fun way, in addition it brings a comradery
and friendships to students that otherwise may spend the summers alone. The program also
brings summer jobs to our SDAC (severely disadvantage community) community and two (2)
meals to those attending students who otherwise may not have one.
As a parent I am very grateful for the BASIC program, my daughter is a better student for it, she
now reads at grade level because of it and I am sure she will overcome her math challenges
once she completes this year's BASIC Math Program as well.