51ÁÔÆæ

Hayward Promise Neighborhoods

The Hayward Promise Neighborhoods (HPNs) is a collaborative partnership that ensures educational success and a safe, healthy, and thriving community for all Hayward residents. Part of the national Promise Neighborhood Initiative, HPNs’ goal since 2012 is to lift up two designated Promise Neighborhoods (Jackson Triangle and South Hayward) so that all children living or attending school in the area succeed in their education and are well prepared for college, career, and life.

With over 150,000 residents, the City of Hayward is the sixth-largest in the Bay Area and a thriving regional center of commerce, manufacturing activity, and trade. Known as the “Heart of the Bay,” Hayward has capitalized on its unparalleled location to become a desirable destination for companies and for diverse, working-class and immigrant families looking for secure economic opportunities and inclusive communities. Yet, the allure of the Bay Area presents issues for residents who face housing insecurity and barriers to upward mobility.

HPNs targets three census tracts in South Hayward where 92% of residents are Latinx, AAPI, Black, and multiracial, and over 43% are foreign-born. Nearly half of South Hayward residents are extremely burdened by housing costs (paying more than 35% of their income), and 83% of families live in rental housing. Additionally, not all Hayward students have the same level of access to pursue postsecondary opportunities after high school. Only 36% of Hayward residents have a college degree, and less than 10% of Hayward students earn a postsecondary degree within six years of enrolling after high school, compared to 41% nationally according to the National Student Clearinghouse.

HPNs works collectively to improve economic mobility, capacity building and educational attainment for the entire City of Hayward through its targeted work in the Jackson Triangle and South Hayward neighborhoods. The HPNs partners support children and families through more than 50 cradle-to-career activities at each transition point in a child's life. The HPN's collaborative approach has supported: 

• 32% increase in Hayward Unified School District students enrolled at or transferred to Cal State East Bay since 2018
• 6% increase in the high school graduation rate since 2018
• 190 more spots available for pre-schoolers to become ready for kindergarten since 2012
• 600+ new enrollments in career technical classes to boost family incomes since 2012

Cal State East Bay spearheads the HPNs collaborative as the lead or “backbone” agency. HPNs’ partners include local schools, government agencies, non-profit organizations, and businesses.

How You Can Help

• Support scholarships for students from Hayward Unified School District high schools or transferring from Chabot Community College-  
• Explore a corporate volunteering or giving partnership.  /haywardpromise/ 
• Volunteer with HPNs partners (tutoring, food distribution, neighborhood clean-up, etc.) /haywardpromise/ 

Who We Are

Hayward Promise Neighborhoods is a collaborative partnership working to ensure educational success and a safe, healthy, thriving community for all living in Hayward. Our vision is to alleviate generational poverty and create equity for all living in Hayward.

California Promise Neighborhoods Network: The five California-based Promise Neighborhoods created by the U.S. Department of Education collaborate to spread the Promise model throughout California and share best practices to support every child from cradle to college to career. The five Promise Neighborhoods in California, spanning urban and rural centers, are San Diego, Chula Vista, Corning, Hayward, and San Francisco (Mission District). These neighborhoods have demonstrated increases in:

• Children being ready for kindergarten
• Children and youth succeeding in school
• Healthy children
• Students graduating from high school and obtaining a postsecondary degree
• Families supporting learning
• Economically resilient families

How We Work

College graduates earn twice as much as high school graduates, and neighborhoods with educated populations also confer wide-ranging benefits to the economy, such as lower rates of unemployment and higher wages even for workers without a college degree. 

Early Learning

“There’s a chain reaction. You get involved in one thing, and then you find out more.” April Vinson, HPNs Community Advisory Board member and Parent Advocate for children with special needs. 

It starts before children enter kindergarten. HPNs brings to the community outreach through community outreach workers (Promotoras), quality pre-school curriculum and instruction, early childhood programs, and a home visitation nurse, among many services.

51ÁÔÆæ’s Community Counseling Clinic, the only free counseling program in the area, serves toddlers and entire families while training Educational Psychology students to serve the community.  

Neighborhood Health and Empowerment

The community environment and parent achievement are the focus of this area. Multiple strategies are used to reduce family mobility, provide fresh food for low-income families and seniors, increase literacy, and promote adult career technical educational classes to foster family economic mobility. 

51ÁÔÆæ coordinates the Community Leadership Initiative to develop parent advocacy skills and engage parents in projects to improve and advance the community. 

Cradle to Career Success

51ÁÔÆæ coordinates college transition and career development programs through internships, scholarships, and coaching. The Promise Interns program trains and develops undergraduate students to work in schools and partnering agencies that support K-12 services. Student Success Coaches support Hayward students in partner high schools and in transitioning to 51ÁÔÆæ. Scholarships are also available for Hayward Unified School District students pursuing STEM degrees at 51ÁÔÆæ.  

Community Counseling Clinic

The Community Counseling Clinic provides counseling services for children, teens, adults, couples, and families while helping train future mental health professionals. Graduate students in 51ÁÔÆæ's Educational Psychology program work with clients under the supervision of licensed clinicians. This allows community members to access counseling services while students gain valuable hands-on experience. The Clinic provides a safe and supportive space for people facing personal, emotional, family, and educational challenges. Donor support helps make these services available to more individuals and families in our community. The Community Counseling Clinic provides counseling and psychotherapy services for children, adolescents, adults, couples, and families. Graduate student counselors work under the guidance of licensed professionals to support clients and help them work through life's challenges.

Investing in Lifelong Learning

Access to mental health support can make a lasting difference for individuals and families facing personal, emotional, and educational challenges. The Community Counseling Clinic provides a welcoming place where community members can receive care, build resilience, and develop healthy coping skills. By serving local children, teens, adults, and families, the Clinic helps strengthen the well-being of our broader East Bay community while preparing future counselors to meet growing mental health needs.

The Impact of Your Support

Your generosity helps make counseling services more accessible for individuals and families in our community. Donations support resources for clients, hands-on training opportunities for graduate students, and the continued growth of a program that benefits both current and future generations. Every gift helps expand access to care and strengthens the network of mental health support available throughout the East Bay.

Osher Lifelong Learning Institute

The Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI) at Cal State East Bay offers adults age 50 and better the opportunity to continue learning, exploring new interests, and connecting with others. Through courses, lectures, and special programs, participants engage with new ideas in a welcoming learning environment. OLLI encourages curiosity, personal growth, and lifelong discovery without the pressure of grades or exams. Members can learn for the joy of learning while remaining connected to an active community. Donor support helps make these opportunities available to lifelong learners throughout the region.

OLLI offers educational programs, lectures, and learning experiences led by faculty and subject matter experts. Participants explore a wide range of topics in the arts, humanities, sciences, and social sciences while engaging with fellow learners who share similar interests.

Investing in Lifelong Learning

Your generosity helps keep OLLI affordable and accessible for those seeking continued learning opportunities. Donor support enhances educational programming, brings new speakers and learning experiences to members, and helps ensure that lifelong learning remains available for everyone.