Peer-nominated award honors leaders who exemplify community impact and a commitment to changing the odds for kids across California.

/PRNewswire/ - Think Together, a division of Think Education and one of California's largest nonprofit expanded learning service providers, is proud to recognize Executive Director of Programs Jesse Durkin and Executive Director of Programs Ricardo Molina as recipients of the 2026 Randy Barth Leadership Award.

The Randy Barth Leadership Award is a peer-nominated recognition given annually to team members who embody Think Together's mission, vision, and values through integrity, community impact, and inclusive leadership. This recognition celebrates individuals within Think Together who lead by example to change the odds for kids, work to improve their communities, and inspire others through passion, leadership, and integrity.

"This year, we received an outpouring of incredible nominations, but there were two leaders who really stood out above the rest," said Think Education Founder and CEO Randy Barth. "These leaders, Jesse Durkin and Ricardo Molina, have truly demonstrated how focusing on our school district partners and the communities we serve with high-quality expanded learning programs can turn into great partner success stories for our kids."

Durkin joined Think Together in 2022 to lead the organization's Santa Fe Springs region, which currently serves more than 5,000 students enrolled in Think Together afterschool and expanded learning programs in Bassett Unified School District, El Rancho Unified School District, Little Lake City School District, Mountain View School District, South Whittier School District, and Puente Valley Unified School District.

In fall 2023, he launched Think Together's first high dosage tutoring program in partnership with the South Whittier School District. The initiative identified students who were falling behind in reading and math and implemented targeted, data-driven interventions to address learning gaps. The program resulted in improved student academic achievement, leading the district to renew and expand student services the following school year with Think Together.

In addition, Durkin reengaged with nearby school district partners, including Little Lake and South Whittier, expanding Think Together's student impact to 11 additional expanded learning program sites. Currently, the region continues to demonstrate strong performance, with a 95% staff retention rate and high partner and community satisfaction.

"Think Together's relentless drive to innovate and continuously improve is what inspires me most," said Durkin. "I want to continue building partnerships that help districts bring their vision for expanded learning to life and ensure students have access to opportunities that help them thrive."

Molina's journey with Think Together spans a decade and reflects a deep commitment to student growth and leadership development. Beginning his career with Think Together as a program leader, Molina advanced through multiple leadership roles and is now the Executive Director of Programs in the Northern California region.

During his tenure, Molina has contributed to Think Together's growth in the Bay Area and Northern California by helping expand district partnerships and strengthen program quality. During his time as a quality assurance coach, partnerships with Newark Unified School District, Oak Grove School District, and Alum Rock Union School District nearly doubled due to a focus on operational excellence and high-quality programming.

Today, Molina oversees programs serving approximately 3,000 students across six school districts, including Elk Grove Unified School District, Fairfield-Suisun Unified School District, Vacaville Unified School District, Lodi Unified School District, Twin Rivers Unified School District, and Stockton Unified School District, as Think Together continues expanding its impact throughout Northern California. As Think Together continues to expand its impact throughout the region, student outcomes remain strong, including up to 96% of students reporting increased confidence in school.

For Molina, leadership is rooted in empowering others and creating conditions for students and staff to succeed. As Molina shared, "Leadership means creating the conditions for others to succeed. I focus on developing strong leaders, listening to our communities, and building programs where students feel safe, supported, and excited to learn. When we invest in people, the impact carries far beyond any single classroom."

The Randy Barth Leadership Award, established in 2019, is among several awards recognizing exceptional leadership within Think Together, highlighting team members whose work advances student outcomes, strengthens partnerships, and supports the organization's continued growth.

Previous Randy Barth Leadership Award recipients include leaders from the organization who have demonstrated exceptional commitment to students, families, and community impact. Most recently, Family and Community Engagement Coordinator Melanie Barraza was recognized with the 2025 Randy Barth Leadership Award for her leadership and service in the Palm Springs region.

About Think Together
For over 25 years, Think Together has partnered with schools and communities to pursue educational opportunity and excellence for all kids. A division of Think Education, Think Together innovates, implements, and scales academic solutions that change the odds for hundreds of thousands of California students each year. Think Education's program areas include early learning, afterschool programs, staffing, school improvement and leadership development for teachers and school administrators.

For more information, call (888) 485-THINK or visit www.thinktogether.org.

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SOURCE Think Together