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A Message From the CEO:

About 5 years ago I took a year off from college to help pay for my tuition and completed a year of service with Americorps and City Year Los Angeles. I was living in South LA and was thrown into a 5th grade classroom adjacent to the wonderful human in the photo- Dhaujee Kelly. I could write endlessly about the impact that year of service had on my life and how I ABSOLUTELY got more than I gave. I worked all year in the classroom with my 5th graders on math, language arts, reading, etc doing everything in my power to help get them on track with basic skills despite everything in their external environment working against them. 

I just kept showing up. Everyday. Some days were harder than others. Some days I had no idea if I was making a difference. Some days my students would surprise me.  And some days I would be handing my students off for pick-up and I would see a look in their parent’s eyes of humanity- despite the language barrier. A look of exhaustion, appreciation, and most of all gratitude. That’s when I knew.. I was in fact making a difference. 

June came along and summer vacation was weeks away. My students, who I spent all year working with were about to go off on a 2 month break away from all the structure, support, and the positive influence container we had created. I asked: “what are you guys doing this summer?” they answered: “I don’t know Miss playing video games, babysitting my cousins, hanging around the neighborhood”. Not summer camp, like I had been lucky enough to attend as a child. My heart sank because I had no idea what would happen to them after school ended. I knew what they faced outside of our container so I went online those last few weeks and desperately tried to find any sort of low-cost summer camp. Nothing. Existed. There were awesome robotics, engineering, arts camps that ran anywhere from $300-600 PER WEEK. The majority of my students received free or low cost lunch subsidies in school. Study after study shows summer is when the achievement gap widens between affluent and low-income students. Trust me, we’ve spent the last 8 months researching it.

I was lucky though!! I got to escape their reality and go back to my life, continue my college education, and graduate with a 4 year degree. I got a corporate job, I worked for 2 years and life was great. But it wasn’t. This is the part of ancient literature known as “THE CALLING”. I was hit in the face with this GREAT responsibility to be DOING something and I didn’t want to ignore it. So I did something. I texted Dhaujee this frantic, excited, inarticulate, passionate idea I had. She goes “same page, let’s do it”. 

HERE WE ARE. Keep reading.

It’s November 2016 and we want to create, operate, and somehow fund a FREE?! high quality academic summer camp for 30 at-risk students THIS summer aka in 8 months. From absolutely nothing. Yeah. Trust me. We had a lotttt of non-believers. We were even kinda like huh... yeah... this is pretty huge to try and take on. I woke up some mornings and was like oh my what did I get us into. What are we doing. How is this going to happen. That’s it, how do I turn back. But I also had this faith and other voice.... That everything would work out. We’re Molly and Dhaujee, it’ll happen.

And that’s the BEST PART. Every time those thoughts crept in, the universe said stop being dramatic you’re DOING THIS. And so, the universe just truly became a CLEARING. In every sense. 

2 months after we started I pitched the idea to my circle of friends and my coworkers. That next week I had 15 people in my one bedroom apartment volunteering their time to make sure this happened, spreading our mission in the community. Then, we had a creative team create ALL of our design, media... everything, again, from NOTHING. Practically pro-bono because they believed in this project and what we were out to do. THEN, the 2 most stressful parts... fell in our lap. We had a prominent, well-respected community center offer us an entire building on their campus for ONE-FOURTH (1/4) of the cost of what every university and college had been quoting us. And it was open and they were so excited to fill the space. THEN we needed an event space to hold a fundraiser so we could operate this summer. We had an amazing venue let us have our gala for ONE-TENTH (1/10) of what every other space in LA was quoting us. AND THEN I had a former Bentley U classmate and friend offer his family business to donate all the supplies for our students for the summer. 

So in many words...the universe decided it was.indeed.happening. And then we started getting campers. 

But we’re not there yet. Despite having the skinniest budget of any high quality summer program ever in existence, we still need about $50k. To cover our insurance, lunches/snacks, transportation, field trips, payroll, volunteer stipends, etc. We’re about 1/4 of the way there in thanks to the many many generous people in our lives and the community. 

To conclude, it’s decided that I’m taking a stand- if that wasn’t already obvious. I’m taking a complete and total stand for all students, no matter their zip code- to have access to summer camp, to have a place to be a kid, to have a place that keeps them on track and college ready, and to have a community that supports them to reach their full potential. 

THIS Thursday, 5/11 we’re having our inaugural fundraising gala in Venice, CA. The theme is a summer garden party. The goal is to raise the other $40k we need. If you’re not in the SoCal area but are feeling inspired by our mission and our commitment to students please consider donating to the deserving kids who are about to have the trajectory of their lives TOTALLY changed this summer. You would be apart of that and we’re hoping you will be. Any way you’d like to be involved we will welcome you: services, supplies, spaces, etc. If you’re not in the area also don’t worry because we’ll be coming to a city near you soon enough. Thank you for reading and thank you to those reading that have already supported. Thank you for making this possible. Thank you to Dhaujee, I need another 3000 word blog post to thank you and give you all the credit you deserve- you’re an educational genius and this collaboration is a dream. Thank you for being in this with me and being the reason this is happening. Ticket link in bio or urbansummeracademy.org

Cheers!

Your CEO,

Molly A Godfrey

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A n i m a l    S t y l e 

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May You Always Do What You Are Afraid to Do

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You know what’s scary? The fact that our generation has the best technology, endless resources, and the most historical wisdom that can be offered and yet we are the most misdirected in what we hold important.

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" I want daisies in my hair, green tea in my hand, and love in my heart"

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".... I want sun kissed mornings breezy and free interrupted only by the voices of lovers and friends."

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Joseph Mitchell, Joe Gould’s Secret

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When have you felt most alive? 

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I wish I could stop listening to Love Somebody (Maroon 5) on repeat, but I just can't. 

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"And that's where the trouble is," "We're too much alike to understand each other because we don't even understand our own ourselves"

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EDC LV is s0O0oooo soon!!! 

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From the MAN--professor Speca (Ben Affleck's former acting coach) 

Thank you--for your confidence in me and being around to watch me develop as a public speaker. I truly admire all the work you've done for us and your total investment in your passion.

Best,

Molly

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