Looking Back at the 20-21 School Year

August 11, 2021 in Uncategorized

This past school year, PSP scholars and mentors have gone above and beyond to keep in touch, grow as scholar/mentor groups, and continue preparing for college—all virtually and remotely.

Scholars and mentors reflected on their past year together and created visual journals about their experiences. The submissions were astounding. They identified high points—many PSP-related events and moments with their mentors— in their lives as a PSP scholar through a virtual world.

This video captures just a few of these high points of both scholars and mentors.

Since the pandemic began, PSP has updated and changed our programming to meet our community’s needs in a holistic way. While our primary mission is to support students on their path to college and career, we’ve always taken the approach that that success comes when students get to experience a full range of learning opportunities both in and out of the classroom.

This year, students and mentors together with the PSP team rose to that challenge.

 “Thank you PSP for giving me so many opportunities…. Especially this year, my senior year, with the college applications and financial aid workshops. They were a huge help.” – Vanessa, Graduating Senior

Read the rest of this entry →

A Statement of Support and Hope

June 10, 2020 in Uncategorized

The murder of George Floyd, following the killings of Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor, and the many other Black people going back generations, has sparked protest around the globe and in our home cities. We at PSP share your struggle with the intense feelings that these killings bring up – heartbreak, anger, fear, helplessness. My hope for our world is that this moment will be one step a path that ends in true and swift reform of our culture and institutions so that not one more life will be taken.

Partnership Scholars Program was founded in the belief that every child has a right to an education and that no child should be limited by their environment. We believe that everyone must have the opportunity to achieve their goals and create the life they want to live. Without equity and true justice that goal can never be achieved.

At our core PSP wants our community of students, volunteers and alumni to feel safe; to have hope for the future; to live in a world that is just. We believe that Black lives matter and that the arbitrary killing of Black and Brown people is the true injustice in our world. We’ll continue to seek equity by lifting up PSP students and mentors as they contribute to creating a better world. 

Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.

                        – Martin Luther King, Jr, Letter from a Birmingham Jail

All of us at PSP are committed to fighting injustice and oppression, and creating equal opportunity for all. In our staff and board meetings, we’ll be asking ourselves how we can embody an anti-racist and anti-discriminatory philosophy in all our work.

Introducing the PSP Class of 2025, El Monte Cohort

February 6, 2020 in Uncategorized

Introducing PSP’s Class of 2025, El Monte Cohort

Picture of PSP's new 7th grade scholars

Eight new 7th grade scholars join PSP at induction ceremony

Partnership Scholars Program started the New Year in high spirits as we inducted eight new students from El Monte into PSP’s Class of 2025 cohort. Board members, donors, alumni, current scholars, and the principal and staff members of Charles T. Kranz Intermediate School joined the PSP community to celebrate this momentous event for all the new students.

Before the new 7th grade scholars were presented, we heard from the current 8th grade scholars, who shared their experience and advice from the past year. With guidance from Kranz teacher and long-time PSP mentor Camille Osburn, the students created presenations that they shared – along with laughs and advice for PSP’s newest students.

Click to see the 8th grade presentations:    

Hannan & Johnny       Francess & Jazmin    

Aaron, Frankie & Daniel        Jacqueline & Katherine   

Click here to learn more about mentoring PSP students. 

Read the rest of this entry →