06/05/09 - EP¹s 1st Annual Marathon @ Piedmont Middle School ... 
High School & Vocational Training Academy for Students 19 years and Over (a.m. & p.m. sessions):
The High School and Vocational Training Academy for students over the age of 19 is designed for students to successfully complete the program with a high school diploma within four years. Two schedules are offered—AM (8-3pm) and PM (3:50-10:30pm)—to accommodate students’ schedules. Many of our adult students are working parents with small children. For many of these students, Escuela Popular doubles as a Newcomer Center in that it provides the first experience in a U.S. school. ESL instruction is the primary need for these students, but they also enter the academy knowing that their ultimate goal is to obtain a high school diploma. Students also benefit from vocational training that is provided through Escuela Popular’s partnership with the City of San Jose and the Center for Training and Careers (CTC). ESL instruction, combined with vocational training, provides students with hands on marketable skills that can be used to raise the standard of living of the family. Parents form a strong home school connection where youth and adult students motivate each other to continue learning and embrace the experience as one that is positive. Parents and future parents become advocates for their children’s education and active civic participants of their communities.
Childcare Academy (for the children of the high school students)
The Childcare Academy has been created with the goal of providing free childcare services for the children of our high school students. Meeting this goal allows us to attain our larger purpose of enabling students to graduate. Children between the ages of 6 months to 41/2 years receive instruction in a nurturing environment where their home language of Spanish is spoken and preserved. In essence, the Childcare Academy removes barriers and obstacles that typically prevent adult students from thriving in conventional schools by providing a safe place where their children are nurtured and loved. Childcare services are provided until the children’s parents graduate from the High School Academy.