Peoples’ Self-Help Housing promotes director of education
Santa Maria resident will build on 16-year-old, site-based program
–Peoples’ Self-Help Housing (PSHH) has promoted Alejandra Mahoney to Director of Education, a 16-year-old, site-based service offered to residents of PSHH’s affordable housing developments throughout the Central Coast.
Alejandra, a Santa Maria resident, has been with PSHH for 12 years and previously was the nonprofit’s Senior Manager of Educational Programs. Born in Costa Rica and raised in Guadalupe, CA, Alejandra holds a Bachelor of Science in Liberal Studies from the University of the State of New York and has previous work experience at Santa Maria Joint Union High School District, Fitzgerald Community School and Santa Barbara County Office of Education.
PSHH’s education program includes 10 on-site learning centers located in San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara counties with three more expected to be operational by the end of the year. Educators provide after-school tutoring in literacy and math, homework help and summer camp programs for children in grades K-8. It also includes college prep support for high school and college students. The program currently serves more than 470 students and is expected to grow throughout the upcoming academic year with the expected outcomes of:
- 90 percent of third graders reading at or above grade level
- 75 percent of fifth graders testing at or above grade level in mathematics
- Less than 5 percent absenteeism rate for all students
- 100 percent high school graduation or equivalency by age 19
Adult residents also benefit from the site-based learning centers with access to career training and workforce readiness programs in addition to workshops, seminars and courses for small business owners and entrepreneurs.
For more information about PSHH’s educational programs, visit www.pshhc.org.