A town that shows up for its students
BASIC is the people of Borrego Springs, pooling what they have so that every child here can read early, keep learning, and afford what comes after high school. We have done it for more than thirty years.
See What We DoC2G…from Cradle to Graduation…
…enable, educate, empower…
It Started at the Airport
In 1993 a group of neighbors got together to improve the Borrego Springs airport. Within two years they had found something they cared about more, and they changed the organization’s name to say so. Everything since — every scholarship, every reading program, every box of books — has come from that same instinct: notice what the town needs, then go do it.
- 1993 Neighbors form the Borrego Springs Airport Improvement Association.
- 1995 The same group renames itself Basic Assistance to Students In the Community.
- 1998 The first scholarships — three awards, $8,570. There has been one every year since.
- 2015 Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library arrives in Borrego Springs, mailing free books to local children from birth.
- 2025 Forty-five scholars supported in a single year, and a summer Learning Academy running alongside.
From Cradle to Graduation
It is not a slogan, it is a sequence. A child in Borrego Springs can meet BASIC before they can read a word, and again on the day they walk across the field.
Books in the Mail
Through Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library, a free book arrives every month for local children until they turn five — ten years running in Borrego Springs.
Learning to Read
Read-alouds, letter games and small-group tutoring — the unglamorous work that decides whether a child finds school possible or impossible.
The Learning Academy
Weeks of reading, maths and hands-on projects in small groups — run by volunteers and older students who get down on the floor and work the problem alongside them.
Whatever Comes Next
Scholarships that do not stop at graduation. Most BASIC scholars are supported year after year, through a four-year degree, a trade, or a credential.
You will see us around town
BASIC is not an office. It is a banner in the parade, a table of free books at the library, a booth at Borrego Days, and a giant cardboard cheque in the high school gym every spring. If something is happening for young people in this town, there is usually someone from BASIC helping to carry it.
Our Mission
BASIC (Basic Assistance to Students in the Community) is a charitable 501(c)(3) organization committed to empowering youth and adults in the Borrego Springs community to pursue educational opportunities and achievement.
We do this by providing grants, scholarships, and programs that address real needs, inspire lifelong learning, and help individuals reach their potential—strengthening our community for generations to come.
How the Scholarships Work Meet Our Board of Directors
Thank You to Our Donors and Partners
Every dollar BASIC awards was given by someone — neighbors, local businesses, families who name a scholarship after someone they loved, and visitors who fell for this valley and decided to leave something behind in it.
The banner above was made by the students. We did not ask them to.
Carry the Mission Forward
Every contribution helps us continue supporting students and strengthening our community—from cradle to graduation.