Adobe Helps Mt. Pleasant High School Earn High Marks

Mt. Pleasant High School in San Jose, California, serves a largely minority, low-income community. With an enrollment of 2,025 students, Mt. Pleasant grapples with the budgetary and diversity challenges of most urban American schools. But in large part through its collaboration with Adobe, Mt. Pleasant has risen to those challenges with determination, resourcefulness, and imagination.

Since 1998, the school's attendance rate has improved to 95 percent, its dropout rate has shrunk to less than one percent, its graduation rate has reached 85 percent, and its student grade point average has improved from 2.21 to 2.75 — all high marks for its school district. Not surprisingly, the San Jose Silicon Valley Chamber of Commerce named Mt. Pleasant Principal Art Darin its 2002 Principal of the Year.

Adobe's connection with Mt. Pleasant began in 1994 when the company's Philanthropy Council provided classroom volunteers. What started as a modest commitment has since blossomed into a full-fledged, broad-based partnership, which formalized after Adobe moved to its new corporate headquarters site in downtown San Jose in 1996.

Mt. Pleasant has been an Adobe Community Investment Partner for the past six years. Over that time, Adobe has provided more than US$100,000 in cash grants for after-school and other programs, US$200,000 in software for classroom use, US$75,000 in college scholarships, software training for teachers, facilities use for staff retreats, office equipment, and student mentors.

Adobe also supports activities such as business communication classes, which help prepare students to enter the workforce. Each June, Mt. Pleasant students visit Adobe headquarters for a career panel, mock interviews, and other work-related experiences.

Adobe's annual college scholarships go to graduating Mt. Pleasant seniors pursuing careers in teaching, science, and technology. In 2002, Adobe awarded US$15,000 in scholarships to seven students.

Among Mt. Pleasant's most successful initiatives is its four-year "school-to-career" program that trains students in traditional and digital animation while promoting overall academic achievement. The Adobe-sponsored Animation Studio is one of several learning communities within the school and one of a select number of animation programs in California. In 2002, program students used Adobe Illustrator® and Adobe Photoshop® software to create artwork for the company's annual holiday card.

The school's literary magazine, the Cardinal Quill — also created by students using Adobe software — won the national gold medal from the American Scholastic Press Association in 2002 for its 2001 edition. Judges gave the publication 989 out of a possible 1,000 points, making it one of the highest rated in the country.

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