30 Years of the San Francisco Beacon Initiative

By: Sally Jenkins-Stevens; Executive Director, SFBI

On October 10th, 2024, over 80 people gathered to celebrate the 30th Anniversary of the San Francisco Beacon Initiative. We got to reminisce about our origin story, get inspired by young people about the impact that Beacons have had on their lives, and look toward the future from Beacon champions today. It was an evening that filled me with renewed passion about why SFBI works tirelessly to ensure this strategy continues on for another 30 years.

Our origin story, brilliantly shared by Margaret Brodkin and Sylvia Yee, is about bringing Beacons to San Francisco. City, school and foundation leaders were inspired by the Beacon model in NYC, where non profits were turning school buildings into thriving centers for community and enrichment for kids and families. Those SF leaders wanted to create the same opportunities for kids in San Francisco, and so the Beacon Initiative, an independent non-profit organization, was born to bring them here.

The work of the Beacon Initiative did not stop after the first 4 centers opened in 1996, and our work didn’t stop after we grew to 8 centers in 1999. Instead, we found that for this model to be truly successful, we needed to convene leaders and problem solve together. SFBI began bringing Beacon Directors together monthly to share best practices, and hosting an annual principal breakfast so that school leaders were connected to the mutual purpose of youth development and family success.

With youth development at our core, SFBI created Beacon Leadership Team, where Beacon youth representatives from across the network discuss and solve problems in their own communities together. SFBI also formed Beacon Bridge, a representative group of Beacon staff that put on our first professional development conference, Beacon Way Day, in 2011. This coming year will be our 12th Beacon Way Day conference!

When Beacons expanded from 9 to 27 Centers, SFBI expanded our support, offering 1:1 dedicated leadership coaching for every director leading a Beacon Community School, in addition to learning communities for family partnership practitioners and afterschool site coordinators.

And when COVID hit and staff shortages were at an all time high, SFBI created a workforce development team to nurture and expand pathways into the youth development field and non-profit jobs, ensuring a more sustainable future for Beacons.

30 years after the San Francisco Beacon Initiative was created, we now have 9 staff, more than 10 programs, and offer 1:1 coaching for over 40 leaders. I truly believe that because we’ve been able to consistently respond to the needs of the system of Beacons over time, that Beacons have sustained and strengthened. I am so proud to continue the legacy of past SFBI leaders before me (3 of whom were there to celebrate with us!), and to continue to serve our Beacon programs, kids and families with excellence, compassion and joy.

Watch our intro speeches at the event here!