We have been so impressed by the impactful work BRING IT! is doing in the Manchester community. They have been very generous about answering some questions and sharing some important insights with us. We are delighted to be able to share those questions and their responses with you here:

Question #1:  What percentage of the student population in the Manchester School District is considered economically disadvantaged?

The current number is 60%. This number was in the 20% range just 20 years ago so this is not the same Manchester you may have known. In 2019 the Manchester School District had 13,000+ students with 60% or 7,800 students categorized as economically disadvantaged and 15% or 1,950 as English Language Learners.  Clearly there are a lot of kids with needs either as basic as meals or needing homework help and guidance.

Dashboard.NH.Gov

Question #2:  What percentage of the Bring It! students go on to college?

We estimate that 88+% of the students go on to college with a majority attending locally at either a community college, the University system in Durham, Keene, or Plymouth as well as some of the private colleges like SNHU, Saint Anselm or Franklin Pierce. You can go to www.bringitafterschool.org to learn more about us and please click on ‘OUR STUDENTS’ to hear from students in their own words.

Question #3:  What is the annual operating budget for Bring It! ?

The current annual operating budget for Bring It! is approximately $130,000.  These funds cover our costs, which are primarily part-time employees, volunteer support, buses, food, art supplies and equipment.

Question #4:  How many meals are provided each year by Bring It! ?

On average: 70 meals times two nights per week times 33 school weeks = 4,620 meals.

Question #5:  How many different countries are represented by the students attending Bring It! ?

There are approximately forty different countries represented. The most prominent are the Democratic Republic of Congo, Uganda, Nepal, Tanzania, Territory of Puerto Rico, Burundi and more recently Brazil.

Question #6:  How many languages are spoken by the students at Bring It! ?

There are over twenty-five languages spoken by our students. The most prominent are Spanish, Swahili, Kinyarwanda, French, Arabic and Portuguese.  For 2020, census.gov listed Manchester NH with a population of 115,000, of which 21% speak a language other than English in the home.

Question #7:  Can communication be an issue at Bring It! ?

Communication can sometimes be an issue but fortunately we have recruited staff members that are former program participants themselves and who speak diverse languages such as Kinyarwanda, Swahili, and French. So, it is really nice that many of the newer students in our programs can get support in their native language.

Keep following along as we continue to shine a spotlight on BRING IT! throughout November.