The Seeds of BLOOM

In the third grade, school curriculums transition from teaching students to read to relying on students’ reading skills to help them learn other subjects. Students, unprepared to make that transition are at risk of falling behind in reading and their other subjects. This is called the readiness gap. Statistically, students who fall into this gap are less likely to graduate on time.

BLOOM offers an educational experience that strives to eliminate the readiness gap. We provide students grades K-6 with after school instruction in math and reading. At BLOOM learning is not confined to the classroom. On a given day, instruction may take place in our garden, on a walk or during an outdoor game. At BLOOM, like in life, the world is our classroom. Studies show that diverse classroom settings stimulate learning.

How we BLOOMED

Alisha Fowler, the Founder of BLOOM, realized after wearing many hats in full day classroom setting both in the United States and in China, that young people, their parents and teachers, need—and deserve—more from their education. High-quality afterschool and summer learning programs powered by school-community partnerships offer young people a variety of hands-on, engaging learning activities that build on the school day. At BLOOM, we call our young learners Sprouts. Our Sprouts receive important, usable tools to help bridge the readiness gap and help them to be prepared and competitive in and outside of the classroom.