Reaching Higher started 20-plus years ago as a bus ministry of a local church and grew into an after-school program. Through partnerships with local churches, we now operate 4 after-school sites at permanent locations every Monday-Friday during the school year serving students in Tulare County. Additionally, we started our Campus Sidekicks program that places our volunteers in classrooms of Tulare City Schools to ensure the success and growth of our students. To top it off, we have reached out again to serve students in need through our Athletic Training Program and 7-on-7 Team. We help our athletes get into college to further their education and chase their dreams! 

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These last couple of years have been defined with one slogan that can be found on the backs of all our volunteers...”Hope Dealers!” Our main goal is to provide HOPE for those who need us the most. That means continually challenging ourselves to say “yes” to the needs of our community. In Fall 2020, we said yes to becoming the Local Implementing Partner for CarePortal, a technology platform that connects the local church to real-time needs of the local child welfare system. Additionally, amidst the 2020-21 pandemic, we partnered with a local church to host space for vulnerable children in the community to come do their virtual school work. This created a safe place with accountability and support for children as they learned online.

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Reaching Higher seeks to introduce true hope to all kids in our community. Each day our staff and volunteers give of themselves wholeheartedly to encourage and provide HOPE to our students so that they can finish school and be successful for years to come. As a result, we believe families will be strengthened and the community transformed!