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'Adobe recognized our entrepreneurial spirit, stepped forward, and gave us a chance. Our progress would have taken much longer without that support.' — Jennifer Andaluz, Executive Director, Downtown College Preparatory

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Adobe Helps Charter School Prepare Underachieving Teens for College

Giving voice to a community that has been invisible in central San Jose, Downtown College Preparatory (DCP) opened in 2000 to give underachieving teens from largely low-income Latino families the skills to thrive at four-year colleges and universities. It is Silicon Valley's first charter school, and Adobe has been there from the start, as DCP's first corporate sponsor.

The academic environment at DCP is demanding. Long days, a rigorous curriculum, a strict code of conduct, and strong family participation give the school's 350 students the discipline and structure needed for success. Many of the students will be the first in their families to attend college.

Even before classes begin, incoming eighth-graders get a taste of the challenges ahead when they attend the Summer Bridge Program, a high-intensity academic summer school. Adobe has funded the program from the school's inception, providing US$200,000 since 2000, and US$50,000 in 2003 alone.

Because DCP is an Adobe Community Investment Partner located next door to corporate headquarters, Adobe San Jose employees feel a personal connection to the school. Hans Grande, an Adobe product manager and member of the San Jose Philanthropy Council, began working with DCP in 2003 to develop a mentoring program for juniors and seniors.

In the program's first year, 11 Adobe employees met with seniors twice a month and contacted them every week to assist with college applications and essays, answer questions about campus life, and help students prepare to live away from home. Mentors also hosted DCP students at Adobe headquarters on Job Shadow Day, an annual career-development event for city teens.

On June 19, 2004, DCP's first graduating class received diplomas at a public commencement. The street was closed for a community celebration of the students' accomplishments. And there was much to cheer. As of April, 88 percent of DCP's graduating seniors had already received at least one acceptance letter to a four-year college or university.
Learn more about Downtown College Preparatory

Next Story: Catholic Community Services Youth Tutoring Program

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