After much reflection and discussion, our Board of Directors made the difficult decision that PSP will close in August of 2025, when our final class of scholars has graduated from high school and enrolled in college. While this marks the end of PSP as an organization, it is also a time to celebrate all that we have accomplished and the lasting legacy we created together.

We are filled with gratitude for you and the full community of PSP supporters. It is because of your support that PSP has had the privilege of helping students and mentors become the leaders of today and tomorrow. 

PSP has been a beacon of hope and opportunity, offering local students not just the chance to pursue higher education, but the mentorship and support they needed to thrive. Our mentors have selflessly dedicated thousands of hours to guiding our scholars, helping them realize their dreams of attending college and becoming leaders in their communities. The success stories of our alumni, many of whom are now returning to PSP as mentors themselves, serve as a testament to the strength of this program and the lasting impact we’ve had together.

Thank you for being a part of the PSP family, and for helping to make this journey possible. 

These slide shows are a walk down memory lane, from our founding in 1996 to the final PSP graduation in June 2025.

Our Early Years:

Growing Across CA

The Recent Years


Our core values reflect our beliefs that:

  • Children who come from low income families tend to believe that college is not a feasible option for them.
  • College access and success is the most viable way out of poverty.
  • Learning outside the formal classroom is essential for every child.
  • Student who come from low-income families should have the same educational and cultural enrichment opportunities that more affluent students have.
  • Having a teacher/mentor/advocate helps bridge the educational and cultural divide.
  • Every child should have the opportunity to enter and succeed at higher education and they should not be limited by their environment.

program1

Following a rigorous admission process, our scholars are provided a mentor throughout the six year program. The goal of the program is to:

  • Enable our scholars to qualify for entry into four year universities with scholarship aid.
  • Expose students to a variety of educational and cultural enrichment activities and college access guidance.
  • Provide opportunities similar to those a middle class family would provide for their college bound children.
  • Examples of outings and activities include trips to museums, concerts, sporting events and restaurants. In addition, mentors and scholars visit local and national colleges of interest in California, in the Midwest and on the East Coast.

accomplishments1

Since 1996, PSP has inducted 700 scholars throughout California.

  • We support over 100 scholars from school districts in Northern and Southern California: El Monte, Fort Bragg, Lennox, Mendocino, and Ukiah.
  • Ninety three percent of our high school graduates are attending or have graduated from colleges located all over the United States including Brown, Columbia, Duke, Georgetown, Harvard,  Stanford, University of Pennsylvania, UCLA, USC and Berkeley.
  • Recent surveys of our students show that over 80% of all our graduates are on track to graduate from college within six years, a figure 20 points higher than the national rate.
  • The average dollar amount that scholars receive in scholarship and grant aid, money that does not need to be repaid, is $28,000.