Unity Care announces its partnership with the San Jose City College 2021 Scholars Program. The program provides a means for disadvantaged and foster youth to continue their educational efforts free from many of the barriers that prevent their participation and success in higher education.
(San Jose, Calif., September 7, 2016) Unity Care (www.unitycare.org), a youth and family development agency providing services and support for San Francisco Bay Area underserved and foster youth, announces its partnership with the San Jose City College 2021 Scholars Program. The program provides a means for disadvantaged and foster youth to continue their educational efforts free from many of the barriers that prevent their participation and success in higher education.
The special program, created by an institutional commitment from SJCC will help make college more accessible and affordable to the residents of Silicon Valley, is called the 2021 Scholars Program—an extension of the San Jose College Promise. The program provides free tuition, books, health fees, VTA bus/light rail passes, and focused academic support services. Unity Care has been granted 10 slots in the program starting this fall.
Dr. Byron D. Clift Breland said, “San Jose City College is committed, and proud, to be working with Unity Care in their quest to offer hard working and very deserving students the chance to pursue an education. Higher education and focused job training are a necessity for anyone who expects to have a fair opportunity to participate and advance in the local job market.”
“We thank Dr. Breland sincerely for his foresight and dedication in making sure foster youth have easier access to higher education,” says Unity Care Founder and CEO André V. Chapman. “The cost of living in Silicon Valley is often so overwhelming that college seems unattainable. The 2021 Scholars Program removes many monetary obstacles and opens up the possibility of attaining a college degree to them.”
“Juggling work and school on your own is so hard, and when you add on finding transportation, and figuring out how to pay for books—it’s simply exhausting. This opportunity will make attending college a lot better for me and a chance at a real career,” says Sherida, a 23-year-old foster youth who is participating in the program this fall.
About Unity Care Unity Care offers a wide range of services benefiting at-risk and foster youth and their families throughout Northern California. Its signature program, established in 1993, focuses on serving the housing needs of youth in foster care and beyond. The organization’s mission has grown and expanded over the past two decades and, today, includes more than two dozen community-based, education and behavioral health programs, aiding approximately 6,000 underserved youth and families annually.
Unity Care’s programs exemplify its “Five Pillars of Success” philosophy: Housing, Education, Employment, Well-Being (physical, social, emotional and spiritual) and Unconditional Care (adult connection). Each program focuses on being successful and supportive while promoting accountability, honesty and fun. Detailed information about Unity Care programs is available at www.unitycare.org.
