FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – Santa Barbara County, CA – February 28, 2023 – People’s Self-Help Housing (PSHH) has received $6,000 from the generous community philanthropic group the Herbert & Gertrude Latkin Charitable Foundation.
This investment will support Camino Scholars, the education program of People’s Self-Help Housing, as it is implemented in southern Santa Barbara County. This national recognized program currently serves over 400 students per year at its onsite Learning Centers. As evidenced by standardized test scores, the curriculum has been shown to significantly improve math and literacy skills and sets students on the path to lifelong learning. Through in-person programming and its counterpart distance learning model, Camino Scholars provides students and their families with free, year-round academic assistance.
“We cannot thank the Herbert & Gertrude Latkin Charitable Foundation enough for their support,” said Joanna Dominguez, PSHH Director of Education. “With this incredible gift, our students in Santa Barbara will continue to have the resources and mentorship to build a strong foundation for their futures.”
Camino Scholars supports younger students with innovative math and literacy skill-building programs. Through immersive tutoring and personalized learning plans, on average, over 90% of students improve their reading proficiency by two grade levels during a school year. Offering a 20:1 student-educator ratio, students are never far from the support they need to build a strong academic foundation.
Community support from groups such as the Herbert & Gertrude Latkin Charitable Foundation’s contribution benefits not only Camino Scholars, but also the program’s many partnerships that enhance outcomes for local students. Such partnerships include collaboration with the Guadalupe Union School District and the Santa Maria-Bonita School District’s After School Safety and Education (ASES) program, as well as a recent partnership with the 4H extension at UC Davis, which provides outdoor education and camping trips for community members residing in the City of Santa Barbara.
To learn more, visit pshhc.org.
About People’s Self-Help Housing (PSHH)
Founded in 1970, PSHH is the longest-serving nonprofit affordable housing organization on the Central Coast. With a mission of building homes and providing services to strengthen communities and change lives, PSHH serves low-income households, working families, seniors, veterans, farmworkers, those living with disabilities and the formerly homeless. It also provides homeownership opportunities through a self-help, “sweat equity” program that has seen over 1,200 homes successfully completed. PSHH has a presence in San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara, Ventura and Monterey counties, manages over 2,000 rental units, and employs over 200 staff members. 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.
###
Media Contact: communications@pshhc.org, (805) 548-2340
Leave a Response