Thousands of San Diego Unified Seniors have the opportunity to complete the Common Black College App

by April | Community

From January 4 – 8, 2016 five schools in the San Diego Unified School District were identified and had the opportunity to apply for college at 46 Historically Black Colleges and Universities for free! Through a partnership with San Diego Unified School District introduced by Marne Foster and sponsored by the Blue Heart Foundation the Common Black College Application has been made available to every senior in the district through March.

Morse, Lincoln, Crawford, San Diego and Hoover High schools were identified by the SDUSD as the pilot schools that would receive a visit from Robert Mason – CEO/Founder to personally facilitate the application process. The Common Black College Application has improved college access for the thousands of students that attend school in the San Diego Unified School District. Lincoln High School Counselor Clayton Ballard would say “I think the biggest effect that this is having all the students in the room at the same time; having all these young African American students who are pushing for something to see each other at the same time.. That was the power of having them do it together.”

What is the Common Black College Application?
The Common Black College Application allows you to complete a single document and submit it to a number of historically black colleges and universities. Member institutions will honor the CBCA as if it were their own application.

Users of the Common Black College Application usually incur a one-time fee of $35, which allows them to apply to up to 46 historically black colleges and universities at the same time. This however was waived through the sponsorship of the Blue Heart Foundation. “The Blue Heart Foundation has clearly demonstrated their commitment to this community by creating the opportunity for every student throughout the San Diego Unified School District to complete the Common Black College Application for free. I can only hope that other organizations will join us in this effort to increase the educational options for students interested in attending Historically Black Colleges and Universities.” stated Robert Mason

Why is this application necessary?
After years of working in admissions, Robert Mason of EDU Inc. created the Common Black College Application as a way of breaking the cycle of poverty that steep application fees perpetuate. It helps low-income families afford the cost of applying to college, and, as he explains, helps HBCUs to find qualified students who might have assumed college was out of their reach.

Because of the costs associated with submitting college applications, many students either don’t apply at all or only apply to one school. The Common Black College Application, however, allows those from low-income families to apply to dozens of schools with minimal effort. Tracy Morris would later say “I just believe that college can change communities and there is no better investment than our youth. Just imagine the paradigm shift that would take place if every one of these young men and women went on to graduate from college… Entire communities would/could change.

For more on the Common Black College Application visit http://commonblackcollegeapp.org/

Ninth Annual Christmas Breakfast Awards

by April | Community

Our Annual Christmas Awards breakfast took place Saturday Dec. 5th, 2015 at the Crown Plaza – Mission Valley with the goal to celebrate this holiday season by honoring those that serve our community and bringing educational awareness to San Diego’s foster and underprivileged youth during a festive Christmas celebration.

For the past nine years it has been our opportunity to give and receive the gift of service. We invite youth and families of San Diego to partake in a morning of joy, gift giving and celebration. This year we have grown larger than ever inviting nearly 100 children and providing them a celebratory breakfast. These children and teenagers come from a variety of programs which include which include foster and area group homes

This year’s Keynote Speaker was Devin Hughes.(The Chief Inspiration Officer) with Community Activist of the Year Awards going to Anna Arancibia (Jackie Robinson YMCA), Kristyl JL Smith (Community Activist), Dana Michelle Bryant (Eleanor’s Place) and Joann Fields all of which have directly impacted young people’s lives on a regular basis.
We also honored educational administrators Karla Whitaker (CalSOAP), and Beverly Warren both of which have greatly impacted our student’s lives at both grade school and collegiate levels. Finally, sticking with our theme of education we will honored our shining star Shane Harris, Sade Burrell as our Guardian Scholar of the Year for overcoming monumental obstacles to graduate from college along with a and E.J Walls as our Collegiate Activist of the Year. We also had awards for children from both the Heartbeat Music Academy and the H.E.A.R.T (Higher Education And Rising Together) mentoring program.
This was a wonderful Christmas event benefiting San Diego’s Foster and underserved youth and encouraging them to attend and complete college

HEART tailgating at the SDSU Homecoming

by April | Community

Watching the San Diego State State Aztecs dominate Wyoming 38-3 after tailgating was a perfect way to celebrate the 2015-2016 SDSU homecoming . The young men participating in the H.E.A.R.T. mentoring program were truly in for a treat on this beautiful Saturday afternoon. The victory in front of an announced crowd of 38,761 at Qualcomm Stadium showed flashes of how good the team could become.

The same could be said of the young men of H.E.A.R.T. of which 18 young men with unlimited potential will come together and devote themselves towards aspirations of a higher education. Many of these young men could “fall through the cracks” due to lack of resources and/or opportunities afforded in the public education system. What we address are the other needs that young men need to make better decisions, learn to be goal oriented as well as focus on character development.

We were joined by the Men of the Omicron Iota Sigma Chapter of Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity inc… Together each and every gentleman both young and old got to know each other and build a familial bond. This is an exciting time in these young men’s lives and we are looking forward to watching and tracking the growth of these ten young men as they work to achieve success together. Be sure to watch their growth and cheer them on as they strive to reach their potential and beyond.