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Announcing our 2020 Master of Change Winner: Emilio Perdomo
After reviewing more than 50 nominations submitted by current and former foster youth, we are thrilled to announce that Emilio Perdomo is our 2020 Master of Change Award Winner!
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Partnerships That Are Truly Life-Changing
by Christine Salinas, Manager of Grants and Communications
Wondering what makes Pivotal scholars graduate college at 10X the rate of other foster youth? With 90% of our scholars starting their college journey at a local community college, it’s clear that high-quality partnerships with our community colleges are critical to their success. San Jose City College (SJCC) stands tall as an example of a great community college partner.
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Pivotal Perspectives - Social Justice Dialogue
by Priya Mistry, Director of Community Initiatives
Pivotal is responding to the murder of George Floyd and the protests that are happening around the country and here at home, with conversations about Black Lives Matters and racial justice. This month, we invite all Pivotal high school, college, and alumni scholars to Pivotal Perspectives Social Justice Dialogue. It will be a safe space for scholars to discuss their thoughts and concerns about race relations, talk about ways to cope in difficult times, and think about how to be active change participants.
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Pivotal Provides Laptops to College Foster Youth During Covid-19
by Melissa Johns, Executive Vice President, and Christine Salinas, Manager of Grants and Communications
Nicole is a former foster youth who attends San Jose City College and has big dreams for herself. Before the Covid-19 pandemic, she completed her course assignments in the computer lab at her apartment complex. But when shelter-in-place forced her complex to shut down the lab, Nicole ran into a significant problem: How would she do her work without access to a computer? Pivotal stepped in to help.
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Triad of Support Offers Free Meals to Pivotal Foster Youth During National Foster Care Month
by Christine Salinas, Manager of Grants and Communications
Our friends at the Junior League of San Jose have been ardent supporters of both transition-age foster youth and women entrepreneurs for years. When they read our newsletters about Pivotal scholars' Covid-19 emergency needs, they came up with a plan to blend support for both populations.
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Historically Black Colleges Give Foster Youth an Edge
by Delrisha White, Ed.M.
Historically Black Colleges are game-changers for students aging out of the foster care system. They provide sound financial value, a sense of family, and increase the chances for first-generation graduates to move out of poverty and into the middle class. As a Black woman, a former foster youth, and HBCU graduate, I can attest to what these fine institutions do for first-generation students like me.
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It Takes Public and Private Partnerships to Strengthen Communities
We asked several people: What would you do if the CEO of Paypal, one of the world’s most valuable brands, awarded you a check for $125,000?
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Superhero Coaches, You Say? Yeah, We've Got a Few of Those
by Christine Salinas
This month is National Mentoring Month. Here at Pivotal, we'd like to give our coaches a big ol’ SHOUT OUT! Their caring approach and expertise in all things foster care and young people is what makes Pivotal, well, pivotal.
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Welcome to Pivotal – Our New Name for the Next Chapter of Our Organization’s Story
by Elise Cutini
You may know us for our work as Silicon Valley Children’s Fund – or perhaps you knew us as TeenForce – but now, you can just call us Pivotal. Pivotal is so much more than just a new name and logo. If there's anything we've learned from our 20 years of experience working with foster youth, it's that the nature of what we do - providing academic and employment support to foster youth - is pivotal to their future.
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