The Alex Smith Foundation San Diego State University Guardian Scholars Program

The Guardian Scholars program is a comprehensive program for Foster Youth who will experience significant hardships in their efforts to gain a college education. These youth are forced to make difficult transitions into adulthood often without traditional family support. By providing five-year scholarship, year round housing and extensive individual guidance and support, the Guardian scholars program provides the opportunity to change individual lives, realize true independence and reach their full potential.

The Alex Smith Foundation San Diego State University Guardian Scholars Program is unique to other existing Guardian Scholars programs as it incorporates the highly successful high school work that the Consensus Organizing Center has been doing at Helix Charter High School for the past four years.

The Alex Smith Foundation San Diego State University Guardian Scholars Program high school component will recruit, educate and empower high school foster youth to graduate high school, attend higher education, and as a result begin to rectify the evident schism between the numbers of students from foster care backgrounds capable of achieving a post-secondary education. This is achieved by providing an opportunity for high school sophomores and juniors to experience post-secondary education and encourage students to apply newly learned skills in local community-based organizations.

The Consensus Organizing Center staff is composed of recent graduates and students of the San Diego State University's School of Social Work trained in the Consensus Organizing model. All staff members work together in supporting the foster care high school and college students as they join SDSU's campus and transition to the college environment. The staff members play vital roles both inspiring and encouraging the students, while also guiding and monitoring their academic performance. Staff members maintain a constant presence in the lives of students, facilitating discussions in and pout of the classrooms and organizing interactions with the students.

Michael Eichler MSW Executive Director, is the creator and of the Consensus Organizing Model and former President of the Consensus Organizing Institute, a leading non-profit in the national community-organizing field. Prof. Eichler has been involved in community organizing for over 25 years and is known nationally as a pioneer in the consensus-organizing field. Professor Eichler will provide key oversight and consultation to the program.

Jessica Robinson, MSW Assistant Director of the Center and the creator of the high school component will serve as the liaison between San Diego State University, Helix Charter High School, The community and San Diego's Social Service Agencies. Having created, and managed the high school component for the past five years, Jessica's experience and knowledge with high school and college bound foster youth is essential to program success.

Henok Negash, MSW will serve as the Program Manager for the high school component of this program. Having successfully managed the Consensus Organizing Center's Step-Up program for the past three years, Henok is equipped with the experience and knowledge needed to successfully operate the high school component of the Alex Smith Foundation San Diego State University Guardian Scholars Program.

Please note: This grant award is contingent on the understanding that zero Facilities and Administration costs will be applied and/or paid to the program budget by the Alex Smith Foundation.