San Francisco Forty-Niners Academy

Silicon Valley is one of the wealthiest places in the country. The runaway success of tech companies has driven up the cost of living – making life in East Palo Alto much harder on children. Poverty is real, and the stress it puts on children––in the form of homelessness, food insecurity, emotional trauma and so forth–– can accumulate over time, damaging students’ ability to learn. Closing the opportunity gap is essential to closing the academic achievement gaps that separate most East Palo Alto students from their peers in our surrounding communities.

Founded in 1996, the mission of the 49ers Academy is to bridge this opportunity gap by providing students with the skills and resources necessary to graduate from high school and positively contribute to their future world. The Academy is a nonprofit organization embedded in a public school.  Nonprofit and school staff work hand in hand to ensure the success of all children.