We are proud to announce that Pivotal is the proud recipient of a $50,000 grant from The Upwork Foundation. The award supports our Path to Self-Sufficiency for Foster Youth Program, which provides focused academic and employment coaching to over 300 high school and college participants in Silicon Valley, and prepares and places 115 scholars into paid summer internships.
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by Delrisha White, Ed.M.
Historically Black Colleges are game-changers for students aging out of the foster care system. They provide sound financial value, a sense of family, and increase the chances for first-generation graduates to move out of poverty and into the middle class. As a Black woman, a former foster youth, and HBCU graduate, I can attest to what these fine institutions do for first-generation students like me.
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by Sarah Gentle
Not even a week after moving back to San Jose from Chico post-graduation, I received a text from my lifelong mentor Savonna, casually asking me if I would like to participate in Silicon Valley Community Foundation's podcast series to talk about Pivotal. As a former foster youth, Pivotal participant, and aspiring policy maker, I immediately agreed and I’m so glad that I did.
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By Janelle Blakely & Christine Salinas
We’re excited to share some of our plans for 2020 with our supporters, and who better to present them than our CEO, Elise Cutini! Read on to learn how she’s leading the 2020 charge to provide deeper services to our community’s foster youth (and a few words about her weekend passion).
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by Christine Salinas, Grants Manager
Does December 3, 2019 ring any bells? Maybe it’s your mom’s birthday? Or the date of your wedding anniversary?
It’s certainly a date that makes the folks at Pivotal pop right up. After all, December 3, 2019, is GIVING TUESDAY, the second-largest giving day of the year (the largest is December 31)!
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by Christine Salinas, Grants Manager
Pivotal’s ANNUAL INTERNSHIP SHOWCASE is just two days away!
Wondering what a Pivotal college summer internship looks like? Well then. How about you join us at our 2019 Internship Showcase, held at Adobe Headquarters this Thursday, October 24, 2019, from 4:30 pm to 6:30 pm. There's still time to RSVP!
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by Christine Salinas, Grants Manager
We’re thrilled that State Bill 150 is finally on Governor Gavin Newsom’s desk. If signed into law, the bill – authored by 15th District Representative Jim Beall - is expected to increase college retention and graduation rates among current and former foster youth by eliminating barriers to receiving financial aid.
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We asked several people: What would you do if the CEO of Paypal, one of the world’s most valuable brands, awarded you a check for $125,000?
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by Christine Salinas, Grants Manager
It’s no secret that social workers are the unsung heroes of the foster care system. From making tough decisions that will change the course of a young person’s life to advocating for that child’s best interests, these stellar men and women often don’t receive the recognition they deserve.
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by Storm McNerney
During the last semester of my undergraduate studies at San Jose State University, it seemed as if I was the only person without an internship. I knew the importance of finding one. After all, many of my peers had already interned at places such as LinkedIn, Google, and Apple. But those internships always felt out of my reach.
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by Christine Salinas, Grants Manager
On any given day, there are roughly 430,000 children in the American foster care system. Here are the top 5 things to know about children who enter foster care.
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By Christine Salinas, Grants Manager
Emmanuel “Manny” Amador is a Pivotal Board Member and former foster youth who spearheads the selection process for our highly anticipated 2019 Masters of Change Awards. We caught up with Manny, who shared his thoughts about this awesome award.
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