Partnership for Success Annual Report 2022

It is an understatement to say that our students have faced tremendous academic and mental health challenges since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. According to Sarah Mervosh, who reports for The New York Times, in the U.S., “students in most states and across all demographic groups have experienced troubling setbacks in both math and reading.” National tests point to learning loss equivalent to two decades of progress in math and reading and especially steep declines in math. The achievement gaps present before the pandemic have only widened.

As I think about the urgency of the times and all our young students have faced, it is comforting to know that for over 32 years PFS has believed in the imperative mission of providing access to enriching and high quality academic programming for low-income students across PUSD. Now more than ever our students need our support to strengthen their academic abilities. They need help to recover from the loss they faced during remote learning. They need enrichment in the arts and hands-on experiences in science and technology. They need connection, guidance, and support.

During 2022, PFS provided access to all of this to over 350 students in grades 5 through 13. For the second year in a row, PFS partnered with Calibrate Connections to provide social emotional learning to 5th through 8th grade students. This programming will expand to the high school in 2023. Field trips were once again introduced and students enjoyed visits to museums, local swimming pools, and college campuses. More importantly, PFS provided students with important social connections through mentorship, connections that are critical for human development and that we know will last a lifetime. As we plan for the launch of our 33rd summer, I feel a deep sense of gratitude toward the community of donors who believe in the PFS mission and vision and understand the magic that takes place each summer.

Thanks to your unwavering support, PFS can provide students with years of transformational learning experiences that put them on the path to success. The pandemic has not slowed us down. It has reaffirmed our commitment to fulfill the mission that has guided us since our founding in 1990: to help PUSD students realize their full academic and personal potential in a setting that fosters community, collaboration, and confidence. I am thrilled to count on a generous community to help us affirm that mission.

With gratitude for your support,

Dr. Jessica Pérez del Toro Executive Director, Partnership for Success

Lifelong Partnership

Partnership for Success complements Pasadena Unified School District’s efforts by emphasizing academic rigor and consistency. This dynamic program spans nine consecutive summers, beginning after the students’ fourthgrade year and culminating after their senior year of high school. Selected by their school principals, approximately 400 Pasadena public school students immerse themselves each summer in a well-balanced curriculum including math, science, technology, and language arts. Furthermore, students are exposed to college as a reality from a young age and receive college counseling when they reach high school.

Partnership for Success students learn from creative, experienced teachers from both the public and private school partners. Westridge School proudly welcomes girls for their first two summers in the program, while boys of the same age attend the program at Chandler School. All students attend Mayfield Junior School during the summers before seventh and eighth grades. Throughout high school, students spend their summers at Polytechnic School.

Alumni from this program and the private school partners often come back to work as paid teaching interns. These interns work alongside the teachers in classrooms with an average of 16 students, providing one-on-one support and serving as role models for the students.

While the five-week summer program is the core of Partnership for Success, the community also gathers throughout the year. Students and families are invited to attend reunion and renewal events featuring engaging speakers. In addition, mentoring is provided as an additional support for students. These opportunities enhance the program by providing continuity and extending the commitment to students’ success beyond the confines of summer. Every spring, the Partnership for Success community comes together to celebrate the accomplishments of the graduating seniors. Graduates remain in the program one final summer, bridging to their college experience. During this time, they learn valuable life skills and further their academic enrichment. This culminating experience serves to provide graduates the foundation they need to turn their college reality into lifelong success.

2022 Curriculum Highlights

The PFS 2022 program gave students across grade levels the opportunity to enjoy spectacular hands-on courses that challenged them to apply their design thinking skills and creativity to solve problems, collaborate, and engage in real world endeavors. From woodworking for girls to computer science at Chandler School and Chinese language and culture at Polytechnic School, PFS students are developing lifelong skills that can serve them in their personal and professional lives.

CHINESE LANGUAGE AND CULTURE AT POLYTECHNIC SCHOOL

YING SHANG

Juniors at Poly immersed themselves in five weeks of Chinese language and culture. They learned essential vocabulary to engage in basic conversations and discussed cultural topics such as celebrations and the Zodiac. Students became familiar with Chinese writing systems and learned how to read and write Chinese numbers using Chinese characters. They put their conversational skills to the test by writing and presenting dialogues in Mandarin.

WOODWORKING AT WESTRIDGE SCHOOL

COACH KAREN HANSELMAN

For the first time ever, PFS at Westridge offered a hands-on woodworking course for 5th and 6th grade girls. The students became familiar with the “tools of the trade” and learned safe and proper use of hand saws, drills, files, clamps and measuring devices. Students designed working sketches for their projects, learned to take precise measurements, and transferred these ideas to create their own wood pieces.

COMPUTER SCIENCE AT CHANDLER SCHOOL

MATEO REYES

Chandler students took a computer science class where they spent time learning the Inkscape software program to make graphics for their (fictitious) companies. The students were excited and eager to use their creativity and learn how to apply their design skills to create their own company logos. For their culminating project, students got to watch their company logos laser cut in the Innovation Lab. They were thrilled when they got to hold their designs!

PFS Financial Dashboard 2022

PFS is a good program that is run well. Being around other kids who are motivated is a big deal and having teachers that are excited about teaching. The environment is positive, and my children always looked forward to the classes and always had good experiences at PFS. My daughter is glad she stuck with the program and with the commitment.

—EDDIE RODRÍGUEZ, CURRENT PFS PARENT

PFS PARTNER SCHOOLS

INDEPENDENT SCHOOLS

Chandler School

Mayfield Junior School

Polytechnic School

Westridge School

PUSD ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS

Altadena Arts Magnet

CIS Academy

Don Benito Fundamental School

Field Elementary School

Hamilton Elementary School

Jackson STEM Dual Language Magnet Academy

Longfellow Elementary School

Madison Elementary School

Norma Coombs Elementary School

San Rafael Elementary School

Sierra Madre Elementary School

Washington Elementary STEM Magnet School

Webster Elementary School

Willard Elementary School

PUSD K-8 SCHOOLS

McKinley School

PUSD MIDDLE SCHOOLS

Eliot Arts Magnet Academy

Sierra Madre Middle School

Octavia E. Butler Magnet

PUSD 6-12 SCHOOLS

Blair School

Marshall Fundamental Secondary School

PUSD HIGH SCHOOLS

John Muir High School Early College Magnet

Pasadena High School

Rose City High School

MU HWA SERVAÑA NAGATA , PFS CLASS OF 2020 AND PFS INTERN FROM 2021-2022

I began PFS when I was in fourth grade and I’ve returned every summer since then. I also worked as an intern for two summers. I am now in my third year of college and looking back, I would describe my PFS experience as valuable, unforgettable, and connecting. The program teachers, interns, and classmates all contributed to my personal growth. The classes were interactive and more personal than typical school classes. In every class, teachers went above and beyond, from planning fun activities to giving each student a chance to share their own story. They made sure that each one of us felt special. The friendships I formed during PFS made each summer even more exciting. We grew up and spent enriching summers together each year up until our undergrad year! PFS opened up many opportunities for me and highly impacted my journey to where I am now. Coming from a low income family and a public high school that lacked college resources, PFS helped college become a possibility for me. With everyone’s help at PFS, I am now attending UCI with a double major in education and psychology. My career goals now include college counseling or working in youth education.

—MU HWA SERVAÑA NAGATA

This program creates a community that is filled with hardworking and passionate people. We learn from each other and motivate one another. This program is something you won’t be able to find anywhere else.

PFS Mentor Program Ambassadors from Westridge

The dedicated PFS Teachers at Polytechnic School

CARLA RODRÍGUEZ, PFS PARENT

We have enjoyed everything about PFS. My daughter started PFS in fourth grade and completed the program all the way through. She was part of the first class to receive the $1,000 scholarship. Both my kids have always enjoyed and wanted to attend PFS. My son comes back from PFS and he is alive. The program has helped him with classes he struggled with during the year. Hands-on math brought the subject to life for him. My children have also enjoyed the books teachers select for reading. We especially liked the part at the end of the program when my daughter received help with her essays and materials for colleges. They completed a spreadsheet comparing the schools she got into, how much it would cost, how much it would be out of pocket, and how much would be on loan. It was like somebody held your hand and explained everything versus you trying to figure it out on your own. That was very helpful.

PFS is fun. It is more than you think. The teachers are amazing and nice. You make a lot of friends and meet new people. It gives you a better view on school and your work ethic. It’s made me a harder worker and has given me a better outlook on school. The program has helped me be more confident about my skills in class which has helped me share and speak up if I have an answer and present without feeling nervous. It showed me that if I really work hard at things, I can improve, and this will benefit me at any place I go.

Eddie, Carla, Dolores, and Mark-Anthony Rodríguez, current PFS Family

PFS Donors 2021-2022

Anonymous

The Ahmanson Foundation

Mike Babcock

John Bracker and Rachel Countryman

The H.N. and Francis C. Berger Foundation

The Capital Group Charitable Foundation

Chandler School

The Frederick Gardner Cottrell Foundation

Ann Diederich

John Finch

The Fitzberg Foundation

The Florence Foundation

Beth Gertmenian

Beverly Goldin

Julietta Grane

The Green Foundation

Leonard Gumport and Wendy Munger

Marc and Tiffany Harris

Kendis Heffley

Nadeem Khan

Sam Kim and Daisy Ha

The Kohorst Allen Family Foundation

Steven Li

Steven Madison

Michaela Mares-Tamayo

Mayfield Junior School

TOTAL 2022 COST PER STUDENT PER DAY: $90

José Melgoza

Ian and Elizabeth McGregor

Tim McKenna and Andrea Kassar

The Ralph M. Parsons Foundation

The Pasadena Community Foundation

The Pasadena Tournament of the Roses Foundation

Pasadena Unified School District

Laura Pendorf

The Ann Peppers Foundation

Jessica Pérez del Toro

Polytechnic School

Julianne Reynoso

Rod and Carmella Rodriguez

The Rose Hills Foundation

The Russo Fund

Ted and Lori Samuels

Joseph Sciuto and Marcie Gilbert

Emanuel and Margaret Scrofani

The Edmund and Mary Shea Family Foundation

James and Trevessa Terrile

The Helen and Wilton Webster Foundation

Katie Wei

Dindy Weinstein

Westridge School

Westridge Parent Association

Richard White

TOTAL 2022 COST PER STUDENT: $2,075

TOTAL PROGRAM COST FOR ONE STUDENT TO ATTEND ALL 9 SUMMERS: $11,512

PfS

MISSION

Partnership for Success (PFS) helps selected Pasadena Unified School District (PUSD) students realize their full academic and personal potential in a setting that fosters community, collaboration, and confidence.

Students who are selected:

• Demonstrate strong academic potential

• Demonstrate interest in their own personal development

• Are likely to choose academic challenge for the summer

• Are on-track with their current grade level

• Have limited financial resources

Participants commit to:

• Hard work

• Consistent attendance

• Personal growth

• Giving back

FOUNDED ON COLLABORATION

Partnership for Success is a collaboration between private and public schools in Pasadena providing a fully funded summer enrichment program designed to help students realize their academic goals and learn the skills needed for a brighter future. Founded in 1990, the program brings together experienced teachers, dedicated support staff and alumni, and promising young students for a transformative educational experience with proven long-term results.

PFS GRADUATE COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES

PRIVATE 4-YEAR COLLEGES

Antioch College

Azusa Pacific University

Bowdoin College

Brigham Young University

Bryn Mawr College

Cal Lutheran University

Chaminade University

Dickinson College*

Duke University

Grand Canyon University

Hawaii Pacific University

Hobart and William Smith Colleges*

Howard University

Macalester College

Maryville University

Menlo College

Mount Saint Mary’s University

New York University (Tisch)

Newman University

Northwestern University*

Occidental College

Otis College of Art and Design

Pace University

Paul Quinn College

Point Loma Nazarene University

Stanford University

Syracuse University

Tulane University*

University of San Francisco

University of Southern California

Westmont College

Willamette University

Woodbury University

PUBLIC 4-YEAR COLLEGES

University of California:

Berkeley*

Davis

Irvine

Los Angeles*

Merced

Riverside

San Diego

Santa Barbara

Santa Cruz

California State University: Bakersfield

Cal Poly Pomona

Cal Poly San Luis Obispo

Channel Islands

Dominguez Hills

East Bay

Fullerton

Humboldt State

Los Angeles

Northridge

San Diego State

San Francisco State

San José State

San Marcos

Sonoma State

Arizona State University

Northern Arizona University

Oregon State University

Texas A&M

University of La Verne

University of Oregon

University of Wisconsin

Utah State University

Western Oregon University

COMMUNITY COLLEGES

Cerritos College

Citrus College

College of the Sequoias

Crafton Hills College

East Los Angeles College

Glendale Community College

Kilgore College

Mt. San Antonio College

Pasadena City College

Santa Barbara City College

Santiago Canyon College

UNITED STATES MILITARY

United States Army

United States Marine Corps

*Indicates recipient of Posse Foundation (full-tuition) Scholarship

VISIT THE NEW PFS WEBSITE!

The PFS website has been reimagined. Please take a moment to visit and learn more about PFS from students, teachers, and alumni through videos, stories, and images from our community.