Restore Education, a San Antonio nonprofit dedicated to transforming lives through education, has received a two-year, $200,000 grant from Bank of America.
According to a Dec. 14 news release, the organization has also been named a 2022 Bank of America Neighborhood Builder awardee for their work in the San Antonio community to restore the potential of students who have lost connection with traditional education and put them on customized pathways to life-sustaining careers.
Aside from the $200,000 grant, Restore Education’s executive director receives comprehensive leadership training, and the nonprofit joins a network of peer organizations nationwide to access capital to expand their impact.
Restore Education President and CEO Kelli Rhodes expressed gratitude for Bank of America’s recognition of the organization and its services.
“This is a pivotal time for our organization, as 2023 is our 15th anniversary. Because of Bank of America’s support, we are able to launch an important East Side satellite location, helping us get even more intentional about how we serve our community members. We want to ensure that those unable to complete their GED in a traditional setting have the opportunity to do so to elevate their family’s income with a certificate or training program,” Rhodes said.
Restore Education officials said the nonprofit has quadrupled the number of students served in the past five years. As a result, the ability for the organization to scale has been limited by space constraints.
The grant will support a new satellite site on San Antonio’s East Side, serving as a neighborhood hub with an expanded digital learning library of curriculum, devices and instruction for opportunity youth and lower-level learners as well as an expansion of small-business training programs, the release said.
The East Side neighborhood satellite will eliminate barriers for existing and new students in this area, upskill and empower residents, and draw quality jobs to the area, the release said.
The Bank of America grant helped launch the Capacity Building Campaign that moves toward solutions for generational inequities and replicates the success at The Center for Growth across the city and beyond, the release said.
Bank of America officials said part of the campaign is to build a comprehensive roadmap for the addition of satellite sites in neighborhoods with the highest needs in San Antonio.
Bank of America San Antonio President Ventura Perez said the financial institution is invested in San Antonio students and wants to help them achieve success as they pursue their education.
“At Bank of America, we aren’t just rooted in our San Antonio community, we are investing in it. We are thrilled to be part of Restore Education’s story as it expands its reach across the city and transforms lives through education,” Perez said.
As a part of the Neighborhood Builder award, Rosa Tapia, Restore Education’s English language civics coordinator, has been named an emerging leader by Bank of America.
Tapia manages programming and has been instrumental shaping English language civics instruction and internationally trained professional courses for her organization, the release said.
A first-generation college graduate, Tapia uses her experience to help students navigate educational opportunities, the release said, adding that the emerging leader program will provide her with a network of peers with whom she could learn and grow.
Additionally, it will provide her with training in leadership best practices that she could incorporate into her management work immediately as she prepares for a position with increasing responsibility and future impact, Tapia said.
