K to College, Oakland

Pairing their civic-mindedness with a strong business sense, a group of University of California, Berkeley, students grabbed a laptop and a borrowed pickup and began delivering school supplies to underserved students across the region. Today, the nonprofit, K to College, distributes the resources students need to excel in school and attain a solid education. This nonprofit approach enables them to provide three dollars of supplies to disadvantaged kids for every dollar donated to K to College. Collaborating with local businesses, K to College creates grade-appropriate supply kits. Packed in a sturdy canvas tote bag, school supply kits of pencils, papers, and dental-care items go to public-school students in the free or reduced-price lunch program; alternatively learning kits are packed in pre-k back-packs. K to College also advertises back-to-school efforts through local TV stations and works with the Folsom State Prison to organize community-service opportunities for inmates as part of a rehabilitation program—an effort that caught the attention of CNN.