FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – Central Coast, CA, August 3, 2022 – People’s Self-Help Housing (PSHH)’s education program Camino Scholars has been selected as a finalist in the prestigious, nationally-acclaimed Summer Learning Awards, presented by the National Summer Learning Association (NSLA). Camino Scholars is a finalist alongside seven other education programs from throughout the country. Three winners will be selected in August and will receive a $10,000 donation in support of the program, connections to a network of award-winning leaders in the field, and national media visibility.
The Summer Learning Awards is hosted annually by NSLA to highlight programs that provide high quality summer learning opportunities to young people in communities across the nation. Program candidates demonstrate excellence in accelerating academic achievement and promoting healthy development for low-income children and youth between pre-kindergarten and twelfth grade.
There are three awards that PSHH is being considered for:
- The New York Life Foundation Excellence in Summer Learning Award, which recognizes enrollment-based programs that keep children and youth safe, healthy, and learning during the critical summer months.
- The Summer STEAM Award, which highlights programs that focus on science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics.
- The NSLA Founder’s Award, which recognizes informal programs and other non-traditional forms of summer learning innovation that are critical to serving the diverse needs of schools, families, and children.
“We are humbled and honored to be considered as a finalist for the National Summer Learning Awards,” said Joanna Dominguez, PSHH Director of Education. “Our Camino Scholars team works hard year-round to provide engaging, innovative programming for our students and we thank NSLA for recognizing the long-standing impact of this support.”
Camino Scholars currently serves over 500 students per year at its eleven onsite learning centers. As evidenced by standardized test scores, the Camino Scholars curriculum significantly improves math and literacy skills and accompanies students on the path of lifelong learning. The program also helps prepare high school and university students with specialized tutoring, college application assistance, financial aid navigation, career exploration workshops, university campus visits, and mentorship.
A nationally recognized education program, Camino Scholars has been serving hundreds of students this past year in an in-person format with a hybrid learning curriculum option. During this time, students have shown marked gains in their reading skills and advancements in math – in some cases, improving by over 60%. Students have benefitted from small learning cohorts, supported by in-person instruction personalized to their individual needs, at specially developed Academic Support Centers.
The National Summer Learning Association (NSLA) is a national, non-profit organization focused on the powerful impact of investing in summer learning. Their mission is to convince, connect, and equip providers, education leaders, families, and communities to deliver high-quality summer learning opportunities to our nation’s children and youth that help close the achievement gap and support healthy development. NSLA uses the power of research, advocacy, training, and policy to transform America’s neighborhoods and communities, one child at a time.
To learn more about People’s Self-Help Housing and Camino Scholars, visit pshhc.org.
About People’s Self-Help Housing (PSHH)
With nearly 1,000 units of new housing in its pipeline and founded in 1970, PSHH is the longest-serving nonprofit affordable housing organization on the Central Coast. Our mission of building homes and providing services to strengthen communities and change lives, sees us serving low-income households, families, farmworkers, seniors, and veterans. We also provide welcoming environments for those living with disabilities, youth transitioning out of foster care, and the formerly homeless. Homeownership opportunities through a self-help, “sweat-equity” program have created over 1,200 homes and with a presence in San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara, Ventura, and Monterey counties, PSHH manages over 2,000 rental units, and employs over 200 members of staff. PSHH acknowledges the indigenous people of the territories that our organization occupies, including the Chumash, Salinan, Yokuts, Kitanemuk, and Tataviam people. To read the full land acknowledgement, visit pshhc.org/IDEA. For more information about the organization, visit pshhc.org, email info@pshhc.org or phone (805) 781-3088.
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Media Contact: communications@pshhc.org, (805) 548-2340
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