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HSSI School Partners

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HSSI has relationships with two schools. The placements at each school are slightly different.

East Palo Alto Academy

HSSI

East Palo Alto Academy is a small charter school in East Palo Alto serving youth mostly from that city. It is part of the Sequoia Union High School District. The tutoring center is in the school’s library and is an after-school space for students to hang out and find support.

After-school tutoring center

Tutor-mentors help with homework, school projects, and may be asked to do specific subject tutoring. Over time, tutor-mentors are matched with 2-5 youth to work with each week and build relationships. College advising may also be requested if students are seniors.

Menlo-Atherton High School

Menlo-Atherton High is a large public high school that is part of the Sequoia Union High School District, located in Menlo Park. M-As resource center serves youth at the high school, mostly from East Palo Alto, providing case management, individualized support, and an after-school homework space. The Computer Academy is a learning community within the school for 140 students from historically marginalized communities. 

M-A Resources Program

The after-school homework space is open for students to drop in and get homework help and academic support. Over time, tutor-mentors are matched with 2-5 youth to work with each week and build relationships. Each quarter, tutor-mentors are asked to help with a workshop for the youth, led by an HSSI Fellow on topics such as social media use, job skills, and college awareness.

Computer Academy

  • Fall quarter - college advising and preparation support for seniors, homework help and tutoring for sophomores and juniors
  • Winter and spring quarters - SAT prep class offered to juniors in the Computer Academy, preparing them to take the June SAT. A curriculum is provided to enable students to work on problems and also gains some test-taking strategies.


At each of the schools, there is a site supervisor who has been designated as the point of contact for HSSI program staff and for the HSSI tutor-mentors. They are the bridge between the tutor-mentors and the high school students. Without their partnership, we would not be able to provide these placements.

Other Opportunities for Local High School Students

In addition to sending Stanford students as tutor-mentors to the schools, HSSI also provides other support activities such as organizing college visits for groups of students from the high schools, providing test preparation workshops, and organizing other field trips to mobilize Stanford resources in support of the students. 

Stanford Winter Enrichment Experience for Teens (SWEET) 

High school students attending SWEET gather in a circle

During the February Break, HSSI offers a three-day program with academic and enrichment activities facilitated by Stanford students, faculty, and staff. SWEET is an opportunity for local high school students to learn and have fun during break! 

All students who participate receive swag and goodies. If they attend all three days, they are awarded additional incentives. This is a program for current high school students within the Sequoia Union High School District. 

This year, this free program will be held at Stanford from Tuesday, February 20, 2024 to Thursday, February 22, 2024.  Our planned in-person schedule is 9:30am to 2:45pm with pick-up and drop-off provided at not cost to families.

The main program goals are the following:

  • Explore topics and fields for their future, including their leadership potential
  • Discuss mental health and wellness
  • Connect with awesome college students 

Interested students should fill out this application completely by January 31, 2024. We will share the final schedule and transportation information with selected students by February 10, 2024. Please be advised that in addition to the application, students will receive two permission slips via email that should be completed by a parent or guardian. 

If you have questions, please contact Priscila Garcia at 909-319-6270 or pgarc47@stanford.edu.

Frequently Asked Questions

  • What do the college visits look like?
    • The college visits are meant to be focused on college access, not so much on "sell Stanford." We provide high school students the opportunity to see a dorm room, visit a dining hall, and talk with students who are from similar backgrounds (first generation, low-income, students of color). The focus is on preparing for college and what high school students could be doing now to get ready for the process.
  • I know high school students at the HSSI partner schools who aren't part of the listed programs. Can they have access to the Stanford volunteers? 
    • At this time, since we are working directly with the named schools and the programs within those schools, there are not currently ways for HSSI to connect Stanford students to high school students who are not in those progarms. 
  • Is HSSI taking on new partnerships with schools or organizations?
    • We are currently at capacity for school partnerships so are not taking requests for new partnerships. However, students from local high schools are invited to attend the Stanford Winter Enrichment Experience (SWEET) during their February Break.

If you have more questions about the schools or specific placements, please contact us.