In late January, People and Congregations Together (PACT) of San Joaquin County, CA, held two town hall meetings involving over 400 people that focused on strengthening local educational opportunities for high school and college-aged youth.

On January 28, leaders from St. Edward's Catholic Church in Stockton organized an event with Stockton Unified School District Superintendent Jack McLaughlin in order to call attention to safety and academic concerns at the district's Franklin High School. Before a crowd of 250 people, the Superintendent, together with Franklin principal Scott Luhn, agreed to a number of proposals put forth by PACT leaders, including steps to address safety concerns at Franklin, plans to bring classes and workshops for parents to St. Edward's, and partnering with youth from the church to develop more after-school activities. At the end of the event, PACT leaders and the school district agreed to form an on-going partnership to examine best practices to improve academic success and graduation rates at Franklin High School.

Two days later, PACT leaders from the Cathedral of the Annunciation held another high-energy public meeting involving more than 250 people to launch an effort to strengthen local opportunities for higher education. The goal of the campaign is to ensure that, as the city of Stockton grows, that there continues to be adequate opportunity for young people to receive bachelors and masters degrees without having to move out of the area or commute. One key strategy in this campaign involves strengthening Stockton's Community Involvement Program (CIP), whose goal is to assist potential first generation college students who are considered disadvantaged or from an under-represented group though offering financial aid and other assistance.

All of the invited guests, including Stockton City Council members Susan Eggman and Rebecca Nabors, San Joaquin County Supervisor Steve Gutierrez, and John Carvana and Dr. Elizabeth Griego from the University of the Pacific, expressed their willingness to work with the community to strengthen local higher education. Council member Eggman agreed to help convene a collaborative group to explore what options there might be to make a four year degree a reality for more local residents.

For more information about People and Congregations Together, visit www.pact4sjc.org