Grantee Spotlight: College Readiness Program Grows with Help from PCF

Partnership for Success! is a summer enrichment program designed to help underserved Pasadena public school students realize their academic goals, learn the skills they need to reach college, and then thrive there. Students selected for the program in 4th grade attend for nine consecutive summers, creating a transformative educational experience. PCF has supported PfS! with a total of $100,000 in grant awards.

“With the help of PCF funding, Partnership for Success! has been able to realize our vision of adding a year-round component to our summer school program while expanding our curriculum by one year to include a bridge summer for our outgoing seniors to help them transition into college,” says new PfS! Executive Director José Melgoza. “This is an immense boost to the beneficial impact PfS! can have on the Pasadena Unified students we serve. We thank PCF for their generous support!”

The new “College 1” class now offered for PfS!’s just-graduated high school seniors gives students an additional resource to learn a few more skills for college, and they receive college credit. The course covers topics like time management, critical thinking, and study skills. Students additionally are awarded – upon successful completion of the course – a $1,000 stipend to help with future college costs.

PCF’s Education Grant Program targets programs that provide on-going academic interventions for PUSD students in critical areas like elementary-school readiness, reading at grade level by 3rd grade, college prep and more. PCF made six grants in this area in 2017.

(Photos courtesy of Partnership for Success!)