Sweetwater Education Foundation ... DID YOU KNOW?

Sweetwater Education Foundation - a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization – was established in 2003 supporting the Compact for Success program between the Sweetwater Union High School District and San Diego State University.

Compact for Success offers guaranteed admission to SDSU for students who meet set requirements. The Foundation and it's volunteer boardmembers are asked to champion the program in the community and to help identify new scholarship supporters and contributors.


The Foundation helps raise funds to support scholarships and also sets a budget for scholarship costs over a cohort (four year period).

Some amazing milestones have been accomplished including:

• In the past 10 years, more graduates of the Sweetwater district have gone to college than ever before.
• Applications to SDSU have increased more than 120% since the beginning of the Compact for Success program.
• Since 2006, over 1200 Sweetwater Unified High School District students have enrolled at SDSU via the Compact for Success.
• To date, more than $1.6M in need-based scholarships has been awarded to over 400 students through the Sweetwater Education Foundation.
• Recently, UCSD joined in by replicating the compact scholars program. Scholarships were awarded to 50 students.
• This Fall 2011, the largest class yet arrived on SDSU campus.  And, with the scholarships to be awarded for this school year, Sweetwater Education Foundation will cross the $2 million mark in terms of total scholarship amounts awarded since 2006.

While Sweetwater Education Foundation provides budget and process, it is the school’s Office of Financial Aid who makes the final scholarship awards.


Tough Time Ahead

But there is still a lot of work to be done. Tuition alone at CSU schools will rise by 29% and that does not include other fees and costs. 


In addition, since 1999, SDSU has operated as “impacted” campus – meaning they only choose from better-qualified applicants. And as you can imagine, their pool of applicants is large. Who doesn’t want to come to San Diego? Unfortunately, it’s getting harder for our local students to compete and for our families to afford local tuition much less send them to colleges out of the region or state.

And finally, the economy is not getting any better. While the Foundation has done a great job of budgeting to help the most kids -  there will be an increase of need. More kids will be applying to the Compact. More families may qualify for help. More funds will be needed. 


How can you help:
Success has been accomplished through working in partnership and the belief that no barrier should come between a Compact for Success student and a college education. The Compact, the Foundation,   incoming boardmembers; and our youth will need more support than ever.  


For information on Compact for Success: http://coe.sdsu.edu/compact/


For More information on The Sweetwater Education Foundation: http://www.sweetwatereducationfoundation.org/

For parents looking to learn more about the Compact for Success - ask your child's school counselor. At every office in our district, you'll find The Compact for Success poster outlining requirements. 

Many in our region continue to face challenging budgets so we should do our best to continue to support our South County students and families, our local businesses and policy makers – even if it’s only to become better informed.

PC

Brainstorming with CV Council

On Friday, September 16, 2011, Chula Vista City Council held a special workshop at Montevalle Park – open to the public. The workshop focused on the council’s shared vision, goals, etc … the key word here is SHARED.  The discussion included civic engagement – something we believe in personally and professionally.

For the most part dialogue was good … yes; there was actual dialogue as they tried to agree on shared views. It put them in a very vulnerable position – but it was raw discussion about the city not the politics.  Refreshing.

As any strategist knows the process takes time. Due diligence is needed. There was obvious anxiousness by some of our councilmembers for immediate action – and who can blame them. How many times and how many years have they discussed these strategies: slogans, commercials, marketing tools, neighborhood councils, speakers bureaus – money spent… money lost.

Several years ago a speakers bureau was being re-instated and councilmembers where asked to select days to present to community on City happenings.  Busy councilmembers couldn’t confirm dates. Those that committed where then accused of trying to posture themselves. Some organizations cried foul. They worked to stop it and ultimately succeeded. At the end, our city representatives couldn’t go out into the community to share the great happenings of Chula Vista – why? Because politics was more important than the benefit of our community.

As for this workshop, we believe our council did the first effective step – hire outside help for a more effective process to develop sustainable measures. (Note the first step was to create ground rules).

We hope our city council continue on this road – be unified in their vision for Chula Vista. They don’t have to agree with every project or every idea, but together they can create the platform. If they want our communities to all believe in the Chula Vista brand – then they have to live the brand themselves.

Is the South Bay Neglected, or Absent

We’ve all heard it, said it or felt it at one time of the other.  South Bay cities do seem to be the step-children of the county.  

There is no major University south of the 8.  HOV lanes are added in the North County only.  Regional resources seem to concentrate everywhere but the South Bay.

But an event this week made me rethink the premise of neglect .... maybe we are absent from the table when decisions are being made, funding is being given, and when advocacy is needed.

On Wednesday, September 15th, the San Diego Foundation held a workshop for their “Our Greater San Diego Vision”  at the Chula Vista Golf Course. 

This is a historic civic engagement initiative, where citizens in the region are able to create our own 50-100 year strategic plan.  

Participants learned about what other residents in the region identified as priorities and were surveyed on their priorities. Afterwards, they participated in a hands-on activity where small groups gathered around 7 ft. maps and planned the ideal development of the region in preparation for the 1+ million residents that will make this county their home in the future. 

Workshops were held around the county and drew over 100 participants --- except at the South Bay workshop, where at the highest count, had 40 participants.  Some came from the East County and other areas, putting South Bay representation even lower.

Here’s the deal.  I realized that hundreds of residents who were not familiar with the South Bay were creating maps that created a vision for development in our community. 

In fact, the facilitator shared that our priority survey results significantly differed from the other groups on only one question. The group in the South Bay rated the development of vacant land lower in priority than other groups.  Could it be because we have a great portion of the vacant land in the region? Land that has sensitive wild life and plant species. Land that we would like to see preserved.  

I wonder how the maps from the other groups looked --- did they cluster new housing developments in the South Bay? Did they laden us with the bulk of industrial development?  

Out of the hundreds of individuals to participate in this stage of the visioning ---- South Bay was absent from the table.  Less than 40 participants to the average 100.

But we will get another chance to redeem ourselves!  

The feedback and maps from all the groups will soon be posted on the Show Your Love SD website. Here you will be able to complete a survey on what you do or don’t agree with, and the results will set the stage for a strategic plan for the entire region.

I will share that link when it is available - so that you, me and our fellow South Bay residents can make our voice heard.  

And I urge you to make every effort to stay informed, engaged and active participants so that no one can disregard the South Bay as absent or irrelevant.  

And our collective voices will ensure that South Bay is not neglected in the important regional decisions that impact our communities.