Lookout Staff

September 16, 2013 – Santa Monica College is launching a program with two local universities to steer foster youth towards College, SMC officials announced Friday.

The college received a grant of $48,000 a year for three years to establish SMC's Guardian Scholars Program. The program will be launched in partnership with UCLA and Loyola Marymount University, in conjunction with the California College Pathways Initiative.

"We are very excited to be given this wonderful opportunity to help foster youth build their self-awareness and confidence in their academic journey," said SMC Guardian Scholars Program Coordinator Debra Joseph-Locke.

"Through this program, we hope to provide access to a variety of services, including targeted academic, transfer, career, and personal counseling, along with tutoring and other educational support."

The programs – whose theme is "Bridging the gap for tomorrow's leaders" -- aims to help a segment of the population that faces “significant challenges in pursuing a higher education and earning a college degree,” officials said.

The award is part of a three-year implementation grant that provides $150,000 annually to the initiative. The first year of the initiative is funded by the Angell Foundation in partnership with the Stuart Foundation.

The program also will provide assistance with financial aid and housing and make available an emergency fund, along with access to online, community-based resources and referrals.

"This collaborative effort is a pilot endeavor that we hope will succeed and become a model for similar projects in other locations," said Michael Tuitasi, SMC Vice President of Student Affairs.

"SMC's Guardian Scholars Program will also offer the added benefit of strong communication among the three campuses, which will greatly assist students transferring between schools," Tuitasi said.