Diamond Educational Excellence Partnership (DEEP)

I've watched DEEP empower countless students over the years. Their approach creates transformative connections between reading confidence and young readers during critical early development stages. Beyond teaching literacy, they build bridges that strengthen our entire community, one book at a time.

As someone who's dedicated my career to advocating for children's rights, watching my partner participate in DEEP's Read Across America Day filled me with hope. The program brilliantly demonstrates how community engagement can create positive early interventions in children's lives.

Seeing uniformed service members reading to students reinforced what I've observed in my legal work - children need diverse role models and supporters. In my experience representing youth in the legal system, early literacy and positive community connections are crucial protective factors.

My partner's involvement in this initiative perfectly aligns with what research shows about preventing youth involvement in the justice system. DEEP's approach of bringing respected community figures into schools creates meaningful connections that can shape a child's trajectory. It's exactly the kind of preventive program I wish more of my young clients had access to earlier in their lives.

Participating in DEEP's Read Across America Day was truly rewarding. As part of a diverse group of volunteers from the US Navy, San Diego Fire Department, and first responders, we had the opportunity to engage with young students and share our love of reading. The classroom was decorated with colorful reading-themed displays, creating an inviting atmosphere for the children.

I particularly enjoyed how the program brought together community members from different backgrounds to promote literacy. The students were eager to interact with us, asking questions about both the books and our professions. Seeing their excitement when we read stories together reinforced the importance of DEEP's mission to encourage reading and learning.

This initiative effectively bridges the gap between community services and education, showing students how reading connects to real-world careers and opportunities.

DEEP has made a big change in me and my family. I was enrolled in the program 1,000 Books Before Kindergarten and my son, he already graduated. Now DEEP gave me the opportunity to help other families like how they helped me. DEEP is such a great program and it helps kids so much, it helps them in their reading skills and to get their imagination working and go to so many different ways.

I've lived in the Diamond community for years, and DEEP has become such a vital part of who we are.
The change in our neighborhood is real - you can feel it when you walk into our schools or talk to families. DEEP isn't just helping individual students; they're lifting up our whole community by giving our children the strong educational foundation they deserve. They've become such a trusted part of our neighborhood that when people talk about resources for their kids' education, DEEP is always the first name that comes up.

My experience with DEEP has been life-changing for our family. When we first joined their 1,000 Books program, I was struggling to find books that would capture my child's interest. The DEEP team didn't just give us books - they helped me understand how to choose stories my child would love and how to make reading time special. What amazes me is how they've thought of everything - from helping us build our own little library at home to connecting us with other families in the Diamond community who share our goal of giving our children the best possible start in education.

The best part has been watching my child's confidence grow. Before DEEP, reading felt like a challenge. Now, we read together every day, practicing letter sounds and building words into sentences. The program makes it feel natural and fun, not like a chore. The staff truly cares about our progress - they know us by name and celebrate every milestone with us. Thanks to DEEP's support, my child is now reading above grade level, and I've learned so many ways to support their learning at home. This program isn't just about reading - it's about building a stronger future for our whole community, one family at a time.

Very happy and appreciative of the DEEP program. It is an exceptional organization that helps children, families, and communities grow both academically and emotionally. I am very thankful for all they do for our children at Encanto Elementary School.

My Experience with DEEP was amazing my son participated in the 1000 books program and the attention to detail to meet his reading needs was amazing. Finding books that he enjoyed was always hard for me so, the help I received helped with his interest in reading.

I love to see how DEEP works hard every day with parents, giving them that support for the children totally free of charge, it is beautiful to know that there are good hearted people out there who care about our children. I am very grateful because this program was very helpful for my daughter, thank you DEEP my daughter is at a very high level in reading. Thank you DEEP for all the support, the effort you put in to get my daughter to be where she is

I've had the pleasure of partnering with DEEP since 2022 for their Summer Readers Future Leaders Program on behalf of ArtReach. The leadership, organization, and support from DEEP's staff have ensured the success of our program for the students we collectively serve and connect with. It is evident in our partnership with DEEP how dedicated the staff are to their mission and vision to provide holistic and meaningful educational experiences for their students to explore deeper learning and student agency. Furthermore, having the ability in our partnership to connect with parents, siblings, and families who have the opportunity to participate at the end of our program to celebrate student success shows just how full circle, intentional, and holistic this organization is to their community.

I volunteered at a read-aloud with DEEP and it was truly a wonderful experience! DEEP really knows its students and works to create positive learning opportunities for them.

DEEP (Diamond Educational Excellence Partnership) is such a remarkable non-profit organization that has become an integral part of our community, and I'm thrilled to have the opportunity to express what it means to us as a community member.

DEEP's mission is not just words on paper; it's a lifeline for families like mine. Their commitment to empowering our community and creating a nurturing environment for our children is truly outstanding. DEEP believes in the potential of every child and strives to provide them with the tools and support they need to thrive. What's truly exceptional about DEEP is their strategic approach to education. They focus on three key priorities: preparing for kindergarten, reading by third grade, and going beyond the classroom. These priorities are not just slogans; they are the pillars of their work. As a community member, I've seen the positive impact of these initiatives on our children's lives.
DEEP doesn't just stop at offering educational services. They actively engage with over 400 families with children aged 0-5, and the impact is visible every day. They don't treat us as numbers but as a part of a larger family. DEEP has created a sense of belonging and empowerment in our community. They've helped us understand that we play an essential role in our children's education and future.

I’ve worked with a couple of different DEEP programs, and have seen the impacts that their versions programs make on children. Not only have they significantly benefited from the educational aspects of DEEP, they’ve also demonstrated a constantly growing love, and passion, for reading and learning. The programs provided have made great impacts on many families’ lives!

I’ve seen DEEP in action for years and it’s such a great program. Reading is so important and they help every kid start reading from a young age.

DEEP is a reading program for children from 0 to 5 years old, I really like it because it implements a routine from home for children to read, it is much easier to start reading with our children from a young age since they can practice their skills from home. syllables, sounds of each letter, they learn to distinguish which letters they are reading and not only that, they also begin to identify words until they form a sentence and it becomes easier for them when they are in kindergarten.

I am very happy with the program because the more books you read at home, the more opportunities you have to win more books and thus make them a small library at home and read them as much as I want with my children.

I have never seen an organization that is so deeply invested in the community they serve. DEEP tailors all programs to the students and families in their schools, making sure they are providing the best resources possible.

This is a fabulous organization that helps students and community members with not only academic enrichment but also with parenting classes and support.

I am new to DEEP (less than a year), but I can tell you with certainty that this nonprofit knows how to positively impact communities by involving ALL stakeholders into the mix (schools, community partners, families, students, donors). I did my homework before deciding where to invest my time, talent and treasure as a board member and DEEP rose to the top. Quite simply--they have the heart, the partnerships, the research and the data to show that what is happening in a slice of the San Diego is working to help kids read by 3rd grade--and THAT benefits us all! I am honored to be a Board Member of DEEP and excited to see how we can continue to impact SD!

DEEP is a proof point of what is possible when under-invested communities are connected to the resources that are missing to support reading proficiency by 3rd grade. It's a small model (in four schools) that teaches us a lot about what it takes to implement programming to prepare for kindergarten, create the conditions for reading by third grade, and support learning beyond the classroom. DEEP and SDUSD have the potential to figure out what will work across the district by working together.

It is an honor to work with DEEP and inspiring to witness the impact achieved by DEEP and it's community partners. This organization knows how to get results using the collective impact model. Bringing community partners, schools, and families together to move the needle is challenging work and DEEP has the expertise and the persistence to make it happen. They are a trusted organization within the Southeast San Diego community and San Diego Public Library looks forward to many more years working with DEEP.

A truly groundbreaking nonprofit focused on raising literacy levels in southeast San Diego. They walk the talk. Their hard work in the community through supporting families and bridging resource gaps through place-based partnerships is creating real change for families. Well done!

The true measure of success for a nonprofit organization is whether it is accomplishing its mission. The Diamond Educational Excellence Partnership (DEEP) was created to improve the reading skills and ability of kids in Southeastern San Diego. In this, DEEP not only succeeds, it excels. One of the key strengths of this organization is to bring together a variety of community resources to creative effective partnerships that all work together to support children and families to encourage and improve reading. DEEP is a true gem for the community in every sense of the word.

The Diamond Educational Excellence Partnership is a visionary, evidence-based organization committed to delivering results on the ground in San Diego public schools. Because of DEEP's work, elementary school kids who would otherwise be left behind instead receive the support they need to be reading by third grade - that critical juncture for them that determines a lifetime of educational, social and professional opportunities. It is a privilege to support DEEP's work.

In 2013, the Board of Education of the San Diego Unified School District passed a resolution to partner with Diamond Educational Excellence Partnership (DEEP) to improve academic achievement for all students, especially those at schools with large numbers of students performing below grade level in reading. Chollas-Mead Elementary became the first school to experience DEEP’s Summer Readers – Future Readers Learning Camp which served 90 third grade students. Since the partnership began, Encanto, Horton, Johnson, and Webster Elementary Schools have joined the partnership and are benefitting from DEEPs reading programs. As DEEP’s Executive Director, Dr. Gina Gianzero was the driving force in the formation and continued success of this partnership, and partnerships with organizations throughout the San Diego community that have benefitted San Diego Unified students. We appreciate the important work DEEP provides to improve educational outcomes for our students.

As the resource teacher at Webster Elementary (San Diego), I have witnessed the positive effects that DEEP has made on the staff and students at our school. DEEP offers a systematic approach to teaching early reading skills balanced with a love for art, science, and social awareness. Programs such as "Summer Readers, Future Leaders" and "Soaring Readers" have helped our students grow as both readers and citizens of the world. In addition, it has been a pleasure to deal with the people who work at DEEP with their professionalism, focus, and kindness.

DEEP has been working to ensure children are ready for kindergarten and reading at grade level by the end of third grade - long before our current embrace of the reading process they use. Their summer reading program limits children’s learning loss and introduces them to a deeper understanding of arts and science, and tie it to literacy. Their work has produced great results with top ranking for all their schools in reading. This is in the southeast communities of San Diego, where most are second language learners. No better non profit, no better reading organization.

My experience with DEEP has bee positive and transformative. In partnership with DEEP, we have given the gift of music education to over 600 students across five different schools in the San Diego Unified School District. These children are receiving weekly music lessons to aid language and literacy development with the outcome for students to read successfully by the third grade. We partner with DEEP both during the school year and during the summer to ensure that children have access to learning and do not get left behind during the summer vacation period. On behalf of the San Diego Children's Choir, we give DEEP a five star rating and look forward to our continued partnership.

This dynamic organization works tirelessly to meet the goal of every child reading at grade level by the end of third grade. They support schools in South East San Diego with professional development, student support programs before and after school and an amazing summer program ( Soaring Readers Future Leaders) that I wish I'd been able to attend as a child. In addition, DEEP works hard to see that there are high quality, diverse books in the classrooms , in homes and families and in the teachers' hands. They have fostered a strong connection with UCSD and function as a bridge between the university and the community. DEEP staff are constantly looking for ways to connect the students to resources like art, music, dance and science. There are programs that support pre K and kinder students. The list goes on and on of all of the good work that DEEP has done and continues to do for the Lincoln Cluster community.

This nonprofit gets results! It's amazing to see how much they have accomplished in ten years and it is truly changing how reading is taught in San Diego and beyond.

DEEP programming is an incredibly effective intervention for the students in the southeast San Diego cluster of schools. I am honored to have partnered with DEEP for the past seven summers, providing the Scientific Literacy component for kindergarten through third grade learners. Each summer, under DEEP’s leadership, community partners collaborate to integrate a diverse set of literacy skills to enhance student learning. In Science specifically, students learn to make a claim based on evidence, hypothesize, experiment, make predictions, investigate phenomenon, scientifically illustrate, and critically think. Activities are interactive, exploratory and investigative. The combination of DEEP’s reading literacy program in conjunction with a wide variety of supplemental programming creates the ideal environment for educational growth. I look forward to continuing this amazing partnership with DEEP in the future.

As long standing partners in DEEP’s high quality collaborative work, the San Diego Children's Choir is proud to be a part of DEEP's dedication to ensuring that children in southeast San Diego enter kindergarten prepared for success and complete third grade reading proficiently. Given the documented link between music activities of preschoolers and the early development of reading and writing skills, we enter our third year of working closely with DEEP to provide PreK and early elementary children with a music exploratory program to support them becoming successful readers early in their educational journeys. We are also thrilled to continue our work with DEEP in providing choral music education to young students during their Summer Reader Future Leaders (SRFL) program. Thank you DEEP for the incredible impact you are making in young children’s lives both now and for their future!

Words Alive loves DEEP! DEEP is deeply committed to the children, teens, and families in the Diamond and create impactful, measurable, and FUN change for children and families. When looking for partners and collaborators in San Diego aligned with our vision to encourage more families to learn and read together, DEEP leads the way. Thank you for the incredible work you do for San Diego's youth and families!

DEEP is committed to helping underrepresented students become reading proficient by third grade which is fundamental to future educational progress. I personally cannot imagine what my childhood or life would have been like without the ability to read. Beyond the pure joy of reading and discovering new worlds, it is as basic a need as food, shelter, and health care. DEEP's holistic approach that engages all stakeholders including parents, schools, and students has demonstrated outstanding results. Education is widely recognized as the key intervention that can break the poverty cycle for the most marginalized children. DEEP keeps the doors of opportunity open for children at-risk of falling behind. DEEP is critically needed, proven effective, and a valuable resource for families and schools in Southeastern San Diego.

I feel so lucky to be a DEEP donor and volunteer. I have observed and participated in many non-profits over the years but none has been as satisfying as DEEP. DEEP leadership is focused, efficient, and effective but also creative and heart-felt. They bring the best thinking and best practices into everything they do. They support the parents, teachers, and caretakers of the Diamond neighborhoods, as well as supporting the non-profits that serve and enrich the kids and families in these neighborhoods. The results are beautiful to see. Yes, the kids are reading better, which is a huge accomplishment on its own, but also the families seem happier and more resilient and I am convinced that the entire community is positively affected. I have been part of the DEEP community for five years so far and I look forward to supporting DEEP for many years to come.

DEEP help our family not only to help my kids to love reading but also helped me get the right resources in the perfect timing. Thanks to DEEP I got an early healthy and developmental screening, and got the help my son needed and avoided future problems. We ❤️ DEEP

As an educator I am grateful for the commitment of DEEP and their partners to improving early literacy outcomes for PK-3 students in underserved communities. The data behind DEEP's after school and summer programs indicate that their approach works. They provide new books for children who otherwise may not have access and also address literacy in the community through their Little Libraries.