Empowerment Through Action
Empowering Success and Transforming Futures
Empower San Mateo
An ETA Initiative
Across San Mateo and Foster City, over 1000 High and Middle School students live with the daily stresses and burdens of poverty & are at risk for poor outcomes, including not graduating from high school.
Empower San Mateo can enable a potentially unprecedented collaboration between the middle school and high school districts to elicit change.
San Mateo Union High School District Supports the Empower San Mateo Initiative by approving a $1,000,000 grant
Empower San Mateo expands the work of Empowerment Through Action’s program at Hillsdale High School to Aragon High School, Bridge Academy, San Mateo High School, and Abbott Middle School. It can potentially expand to the rest of the middle schools in San Mateo and Foster City: Borel Middle School, Bowditch Middle School, and Bayside Middle School. The five-year expansion plan includes providing adult mentors, enrichment activities, academic tutoring, Peace Pantry, Community Closet, Community Garden, and all other programs in Empowerment Through Action to the other schools in San Mateo and Foster City.
Empowerment Through Action (ETA) is a program that supports over 200 of Hillsdale’s historically underserved students. The program consists of wellness groups, tutoring, enrichment activities, job and career training, parent education, community closet, and a food pantry. The mission of ETA, launched in the Spring of 2018, is to close the opportunity gap and foster belonging for our students to enhance achievement in the following areas: social and emotional growth, academic growth, development of self-confidence and inner capital, social connection, and job and internship placement.
Program Offerings
Empowerment Groups
Students meet with a trained adult mentor in a small affinity group (based on grade, gender, and similar backgrounds) once a week for one hour, thirty times over the course of the year. Students meet to focus on their social and emotional needs and practice stress reduction.
Community Resource Center
An ETA hub for students to access resources (technology and materials) and professional tutors four days a week. The CRC is a dedicated space for student learning and family education and engagement.
Enrichment Activities
Students can choose a meaningful enrichment activity of their choice to participate in. Activities are made possible by the Police Athletic League (PAL) of San Mateo and include: ELD soccer, basketball, DJing, fashion design, and dodgeball.
Job & Career Training
Sophomores, Juniors, and Seniors meet with our Jobs and Internship Coordinator for interview coaching, resume building, and opportunities to interview with community partner businesses for summer internships or jobs.
Family Education
Parents are invited to participate in biannual ETA family nights to learn more about the program, school, and resources for their students. Parents and guardians are invited to participate in an adult wellness circle to understand the experience of their students.
Peace Pantry
Our Peace Pantry has been serving Hillsdale families with food insecurity since May 2019. In response to Covid-19, we transitioned to a curbside pickup. We currently provide 150 Hillsdale and Bridge families with a bag of organic produce, non-perishable foods, and a bag of hygiene products every Friday.
Community Closet
In August 2023, we opened the Hillsdale Community Closet as an additional level of support to community members in need. The Closet offers seasonal clothing and essential items at no cost to eligible students and their families.
The main purpose of the garden is to provide additional produce for the Hillsdale Peace Pantry, our emergency food drive-thru that serves around 150 school families every week. Now we can add organic fruits and vegetables harvested from our very own garden to the food boxes.
Our program is designed to develop strong relationships and meaningful connections, giving each student their best chance for success.
Student Voices
“Whenever I’m having a bad day I know I can count on my group leader to help me through it.” ETA Senior
“Feeling supported and to know I am not alone.” - ETA Junior
“...helped me reach my goals...it taught me to open up and show more confidence” - ETA Junior
“now I am more confident …and ask for help when I need it because that’s something important I have to do” - ETA Senior
Thank you to our Community Partners
Michael Faust
Adam Loraine
Benevity Community Impact Fund
Charles Stone
Michelle and Scott Wright
Joanne Curley & Cormac Kissane
Kevin Skelly
David Brown
Marissa Mazzoncini