The DPR Foundation, established by DPR Construction in 2008, is committed to helping disadvantaged children within the community by building lasting relationships with youth-focus organizations such as the Boys & Girls Club. The Foundation is a company-wide outreach program to help children who fall short of their potential due to socio-economic challenges.

“We are extremely proud to have been able to contribute to the Boys & Girls Club for the second year in a row,” said Andy Andres, DPR Atlanta regional manager. “The Power Hour program presents an extraordinary educational opportunity to these young children, and we at DPR are grateful to be able to empower our local youth in any way possible.”

This donation supports the Power Hour program, which is a comprehensive homework help and tutoring program for all members, ages 6 to 18. Power Hour provides members with the daily support, resources and guidance they need to complete their schoolwork and maintain a sense of educational confidence and ability. Power Hour members also gain Power Points as they complete homework and bonus activities that they use to obtain Power Rewards –various small prizes, participation in field trips, and other incentives for doing well in school.

“We’ve made a real commitment to these children, not just a monetary donation,” said Steve Bartkowski, DPR business development manager and former Atlanta Falcons quarterback. “In this past year, we have had the opportunity to work with kids from the Boys & Girls Club, and it has been a truly enriching experience for all who were involved. We can’t wait to see how this relationship grows in the coming years.”

The DPR Foundation made its first $40,000 donation to the Brookhaven Boys & Girls Club in winter 2008 and committed to volunteer regularly with the Power Hour program to help tutor and mentor local children at the Brookhaven branch. Throughout 2009, DPR employees tutored children and helped them with homework during the Power Hour study session, as well as raised an additional $10,000 for the Brookhaven branch at the fourth annual DPR golf tournament in October.

About DPR Construction
DPR Construction (www.dpr.com) is a forward-thinking national general contractor and construction manager specializing in technically complex and sustainable projects for the advanced technology, life sciences, healthcare and corporate office markets. Founded in 1990, DPR has grown to more than $1.8 billion in annual revenue, making it one of the largest general contractors in the nation and a “great” story of entrepreneurial success. The privately held, employee-owned company serves customers nationwide and has built projects—both large and small–for such world-class companies as Apple, Bayer, Digital Realty Trust, Genentech, HCA, Kaiser Permanente, Oracle, Pixar, Rockwell International, Sun Microsystems and Sutter Health.

The DPR Foundation (www.dprfoundation.org) is a 501 (c)(3) organization focused on helping socio-economically disadvantaged children, grades K-12, within the communities in which DPR has established operations. In two years, the DPR Foundation has awarded a total of $425,000 to 10 supported organizations across the country.

About the Boys & Girls Clubs of Metro Atlanta
Boys & Girls Clubs of Metro Atlanta operates 30 Clubs in 13 metro counties in addition to Camp Kiwanis and Youth Art Connection, a gallery and workspace for young artists. A trained and professional staff serves more than 17,000 youth annually by offering specialized programming and a safe haven for at-risk and underprivileged children and teens. Memberships cost only $35 per school year but scholarships are available for those who need assistance. For more information, please visit www.bgcma.org.

Jim Washburn, DPR Construction’s Southern California Regional Manager and Melissa Bargman, Office Coordinator, visited Kidspace on December 8 to award the grant.

“One of DPR’s long-term goals is to be integral and indispensible to the communities in which we work and live,” said Washburn. “Children are our future, and we look forward to working with Kidspace Children’s Museum and its outreach initiative to enhance learning for kids and their families throughout Southern California.”

The Kidspace School Outreach initiative (KSO) has served approximately 1,200 students from 10 local Title 1 elementary schools, combining field trips to the Museum with classroom activities and instruction to enhance the science and art components of the standard California content curriculum. The DPR Foundation grant will provide for one year of KSO programming involving more than 20 classes of first through fourth grade students.

In addition to the DPR Foundation grant, the local Pasadena office of DPR Construction awarded Kidspace Children’s Museum an additional $10,000 to sponsor the Museum’s April 2010 Free Family Night event, which will include enhanced art and science programming for the public.

“Kidspace is extremely fortunate to have the support of local businesses like DPR Construction,” said Janet MacLean, Chief of Staff at Kidspace Children’s Museum. “Both generous gifts will allows us to continue providing quality fun and educational programs to the children and families of Southern California.”

Kidspace Children’s Museum is open Tuesday through Friday from 9:30am – 5pm and Saturday through Sunday 10am – 5pm. Tickets are $10 for children and adults (infants under 1 and Members are free).  Kidspace is located at 480 N. Arroyo Blvd., in Brookside Park, Pasadena, Calif., just opposite the Rose Bowl.  Free parking is available in Rose Bowl Parking Lot I.

Kidspace Children’s Museum is a non-profit 501(c)3 organization that exists to enrich the lives of children.  Kidspace is an interactive learning environment that is fun for children, families, educators, and caregivers.  For more information and our calendar of events, please visit our website: www.kidspacemuseum.org.

In addition to financial assistance in the form of grants ranging from $20,000 to $40,000, we select organizations that can really use volunteer help. The best model seems to be organizations like the Boys and Girls Clubs, where they have after school programs, tutoring, field trips, and summer camps. We also expect to see measurable results from these efforts. These are high impact programs and we want to thank the DPR folks in Sacramento, Atlanta, Falls Church, and San Jose for their volunteer efforts over the past year. They truly made a difference. In 2009, we are adding to this effort by awarding to organizations from six new offices.

Following are the 10 organizations:

1. Sacramento – The Roberts Family Foundation - The Roberts Family Development Center provides services to the North Sacramento Community.  The year-round program provides students in 1st –9th grades a safe place to study, do homework, play and be creative. Their goal is to improve students’ academic performance, nurture personal growth, strengthen families and enhance community development and civic involvement

2. Redwood City – Peninsula Bridge - Peninsula Bridge provides academic enrichment programs to over 250 low income students a year from Peninsula school districts.  Their mission is to promote academic and personal success to middle school students from under-resourced communities. The primary Peninsula Bridge event is a Summer Program consisting of a full time 5 week academic enrichment program hosted at 7 local private and independent school campuses. Throughout the year, they provide counseling and a support network to their students.

3. Atlanta – Boys and Girls Club at Brookhaven - Local Boys and Girls Club chapter in an underprivileged neighborhood, not far from the Atlanta office.  The specific program we support is called “Power Hour” which provides after school support to kids in terms of tutoring and other organized after school activities.

4. Southern California – Kidspace Children’s Museum - Kidspace School Outreach (KSO) Initiative - The KSO program is part of the Kidspace Children’s Museum which focuses on making science and math fun and interesting at nine low income schools in the Pasadena area.  Teachers are taught by museum staff in how to make science and math interesting by tying their lessons to a field trip to the museum, which is then followed up with museum personnel going out to the schools to discuss presentations and exhibits that the kids experienced at the museum.

5. Mid-Atlantic – Maryland Multicultural Youth Center - MMYC in Riverdale has developed after school and summer programs focused on enrichment, tutoring, homework assistance and cultural programs in economically challenged Riverdale.  The center is a sanctuary for after school activities which include gardening, bike repair, computer access and nutrition education, and continually offers these unique activities to help kids and their parents improve their daily lives.

6. Austin – Cap City Kids - CapCityKids is wonderful program developed to provide support for at-risk homeless schoolchildren in order for them to participate in the public school system.  Tutoring programs 5 nights per week with local teachers coupled with volunteers including our folks in Austin who help transport, feed, coach and mentor kids in homeless shelters and local schools, has made a significant difference.   Thanks to CCK these kids have a fighting chance to stay in school even under the most difficult of circumstances.

7. San Diego – Polinski Center – Helping San Diego kids since 1994 the center recently moved into a wonderful new campus. Nationally recognized as a model for helping abused and neglected kids we are anxious to become part of their successful program.

8. San Jose – Turning Wheels for Kids and Families Outside - This a truly innovative program that gives a new bike, helmet, and lock to hundreds of inner city kids – over 4000 so far! This year we are working with a particular organization that uses the bike program but focuses help on kids who have a parent in jail.

9. Phoenix – Teach for America - This is one of America’s shining stars placing highly motivated and trained teaching aids at inner city schools. Read Jim Collins rave about their efforts. Over 40 thousand June college grads applied for the program that selected less than 4 thousand for a summer training program and then a two year stint at an inner city school. Phoenix desperately needs this program and we will be involved at several different schools.

10. San Francisco – 7 Tepees Youth Center - Seven Tepees Youth Center, located in San Francisco’s Mission District, is dedicated to impacting the lives of promising inner-city youth. Working with students from 6th grade through High School they place emphasis on social competency, self-esteem, academics, the natural environment, and preparing for future success. Seven Tepees runs two youth programs: The Learning Center, Seven Tepees’ original youth program which nurtures students from 6th to 12th grade, and the College and Career program dedicated to increasing the number of first-generation college students.

Please drop us a note or call if you have questions or comments. And remember, that an hour of your help is as significant as the financial support we provide.

DPR Foundation
Peter Nosler
Gavin Keith
Jeff Vertucci