Hillsides Education Center Awarded $159,000 in Foundation Grants

Hillsides Education Center, the therapeutic K-12 school run by Pasadena-based children’s charity Hillsides, has received six foundation grants totaling $159,000. The grants support expansions in several of the school’s programs, including arts education, a reading program, and vocational training.

Hillsides Education Center (HEC) provides specialized academic and therapeutic services for students with emotional, behavioral or learning challenges. Many of the students are youth in foster care. HEC is one of few local schools serving this student population, and one of just two that accepts both boys and girls in all grades, kindergarten through high school. Twenty-five school districts in Los Angeles and the San Gabriel Valley refer students to HEC for specialized help.

“HEC offers a safe and supportive community for kids and families who have traditionally had poor experiences in school,” said Ryan Eisenberg, the director of HEC. “We provide a high level of support, helping students improve upon their academic and social-emotional skill sets.”
The six grants reflect the wide array of programming HEC offers in an effort to support students’ overall success, both inside and outside the classroom.

The Michael J. Connell Foundation awarded $50,000 to HEC’s vocational training and life skills program. The Los Angeles Times Family Fund awarded $40,000 to the school’s library and its reading remediation program. The Mericos Foundation awarded $50,000 in general support. The Ernest Lieblich Foundation awarded $15,000 and Walt Disney Company $2,500 for art and music education. The Charitable Foundation of Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices awarded $1,500 to general operations.

The grants will allow HEC to expand programs that have demonstrated success. The vocational program, which prepares teens for life and work after high school, has expanded its curriculum to include graphic design in addition to automotive repair and carpentry. The program’s expansion reflects HEC’s increased emphasis on preparing students for the transition to adulthood, a time when many youth falter.

The school’s reading program has shown great success helping low-performing readers improve their skills. Seventy-five percent of participants improved by at least one grade level and twenty-five percent of participants improved by at least two grade levels. The art and music program provides an important expressive outlet for HEC’s students, many of whom have suffered trauma.

HEC is one of Hillsides’ four core programs. Hillsides also offers community-based mental health and social services to families throughout Los Angeles; a residential treatment center for children who have diagnosed psychological disorders; and a supportive housing program for transition-aged youth.

Hillsides, founded in 1913, is dedicated to improving the well-being and functioning of children, youth, and families in need. For more information on Hillsides, please visit www.hillsides.org. For more information on HEC, please visit www.hillsideseducationcenter.org.