Students from Pacific’s first Reach for the Stars Academy return as incoming freshman

Project to help south Stockton students with applying for college, financial aid, other services

University of the Pacific has been awarded a $1.3 million five-year federal grant for an Upward Bound project that will put eligible Edison High School students on a college-bound trajectory. The project will provide needed instruction, tutoring, advising, and assistance with applying for financial aid and college to help students graduate high school, enroll in college and earn a degree.

“It’s very exciting for all of us to be partnering with the Stockton Unified School District on what should be a very powerful, transformative opportunity to help Edison students make it through high school and onto college,” said Patrick Day, Pacific’s vice president for Student Life. “Upward Bound is a strong, proven program and will give students a great chance to succeed and someday give back to their communities.”

Beyond Our Gates funding aims to support new, existing reading programs

As part of University of the Pacific’s Beyond Our Gates campaign, nonprofit organizations in San Joaquin County are invited to apply for mini-grants to expand or pilot promising early literacy programs.

The mini-grants initiative, made possible with support from The James Irvine Foundation, was designed to fuel innovation and engagement toward improving early literacy in and around Stockton. Organizations can apply for one-time mini-grants of $5,000 or $10,000 to fund projects that address overall early literacy, school readiness, chronic absence or summer learning.