David Palomino, Administrative Analyst III, County of San Diego Health and Human Services Agency – Office of Strategy & Innovation
Education is the foundation for building a better future for ourselves and contributes to improving overall quality of life in our communities. Since 2010, San Diego County high school graduation rates have improved. In 2016, the Live Well San Diego Indicator: Education showed 85.8% of San Diego County residents graduated from high school (or equivalent), a 1.8% increase compared to the 2010 measure of 84%.
In 2016, nearly 6 in 7 students in San Diego County graduated from high school.
However, when we look at the graduation rates by region in San Diego County, disparities become apparent. While 95.1% of North Central Region residents graduate from high school (or equivalent) in 2016, only 78.7% of Central Region residents and 77.2% of South Region residents graduate.
High School Graduation Rates in San Diego County for 2015 and 2016.
Below are three Live Well San Diego Recognized Partners working to close the education gap in San Diego County and ensure that today’s youth are on the path to a successful future.
Squash to the Future
Access Youth Academy offers academic mentorship for underserved youth through a unique avenue: Squash. This program teaches kids character-developing dedication through sportsmanship and scholarship, and sets them on a path to a life of higher education and integrity through hard work. They have an exceptional 100% high school graduation rate and 100% college acceptance, not to mention thirteen national titles in squash.
Learn more: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YchlPhZmUeI
Breaking the Cycle
Low educational attainment is associated with poverty, crime, low civic engagement and poor health outcomes. The Barrio Logan College Institute (BLCI) is breaking the cycle of poverty and transforming lives through after-school college-preparatory programs that begin in third grade and offer mentorship support to students and their families through college.
Learn more: https://www.blci.org/
Science Gets Festive
Each year in March, the Biocom Institute’s week-long San Diego Festival of Science & Engineering kicks off at Petco Park with a hands-on, interactive EXPO Day and continues with a week of STEM-based activities held throughout the county. Biocom and its partners also host mini-Expo Day events across the county through their STEM In Your Backyard program. These activities expose children from pre-K through high school to the wonders of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). It’s this kind of inspiration that can motivate a child to get excited about their education, thus setting them (and future generations and our communities as a whole) on a path to a more enriching life.
Learn more: https://www.lovestemsd.org/
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