Students Achieve Great Heights with Consensus Organizing Center

"I see myself as a scholar determined to achieve despite the fact that no one in my family has ever taken up the challenge to succeed both through high school and college. I am committed to being the first of what I hope will become many future generations in my family to do so." ----Antoinette, Step-Up Graduate

Step-Up graduate Helen Burdick celebrates graduation from Hoover High School with former center staff member, Madelyn Ochoa.

Did you know that a staggering 97 percent of foster youth are not expected to attend a college or university? Or that an amazing 55 percent of the parents of Hoover High School students never attended a day of high school?

The Consensus Organizing Center is rooted in the belief that disadvantaged youth will, if given a chance, see the value that education could have for both their family and community and, after completing school, return to improve their communities. The center was established in 1999 by Mike Eichler, M.S.W., and is based in SDSU's School of Social Work.

Fostering Community Connections

San Diego County currently has over 7,000 children living in foster care; 40 percent of these youth who "age out" of the system will experience homelessness each year.

In response to this crisis, the Consensus Organizing Center created the Fostering Community Connections program in 2003 to recruit and empower high school foster youth to attend higher education and, as a result, become community builders and advocates for social change. This program is modeled after the center's successful Step Up program, which works similarly with Hoover High School students. Each group of students completes an introductory social work class and 40 hours of community service. Then, center staff work one-on-one with the youth to apply for college admittance.

To date, this program has graduated 61 students, and 98% of the graduating high school seniors are now in college.

Price Community Builders

Furthering the goals of the Consensus Organizing Center is the Price Community Builders program that began in 2001. The Community Builders have their bachelor's degrees from SDSU's School of Social Work and are intending to earn the corresponding master's degree, the M.S.W., with a concentration in administration.

The Community Builders work in a nonprofit agency within the community for 11 months, with their salaries supplemented by Price Charities; attend bimonthly seminars run by the center; and create and enact an action plan for a community issue. Upon completion, each Community Builder will receive a scholarship of $5,000 to return to school and earn his or her M.S.W.

For more information, or to see how you can support these programs, please contact Jessica Robinson, Assistant Director of the center, at 619-594-0635 or jrobinson@projects.sdsu.edu.