By Kathy Chouteau
San Pablo youth just got a leg up on their post-high school educational and career endeavors, courtesy of the San Pablo Scholarship Pilot Program.
Approved by San Pablo City Council, the new three-year initiative will support post-high school education and career technical training for youth who reside in San Pablo, per the City. The program will provide San Pablo student awardees with $1,000 toward their education through 2026.
Applications for the scholarship are being accepted now through June 15, 2023 by clicking here. San Pablo’s Community Services Department’s Youth, Schools and Community Partnership Division is administering the program.
The City said, “Incorporated City residents who are high school graduates from the current school year and those who have completed the high school equivalency exam within the last three years are eligible and encouraged to apply.” San Pablo has approximately 9,000 youth age 18 and younger living within its borders.
The City of San Pablo funded the new scholarship program through the American Rescue Act Plan of 2021 looking to support “San Pablo youth and families who have been significantly impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic,” per the City. San Pablo was determined to be a “hot spot” for COVID-19 cases within the Contra Costa County area, according to the Local Emergency Declaration Resolution 2021-010 (City of San Pablo Resolution 2021-10). This adverse impact ultimately prompted the need for the youth scholarship and other initiatives as part of the city’s recovery efforts.
“The City encourages all eligible San Pablo residents to apply for the scholarship program being offered and take advantage of this local community funding opportunity,” said City Manager Matt Rodriguez.
The San Pablo Scholarship Pilot Program is being launched as the city is celebrating its 75th anniversary since incorporation, which occurred in 1948.
For more info about the San Pablo Scholarship Pilot Program, click here or contact Paola Cubias-Shirazi, Community Services coordinator II, at [email protected].
