The California Teacher Pathway supports young people from low-income neighborhoods with a passion for teaching to attend community college for their AA degree, and then transfer to a California State University for their BA degree and teaching credential with the goal of supporting them to teach in the communities they came from.

The program supports the students in attaining their Associate’s degree at a community college and then transferring to a California State University where they complete their Bachelor’s degree and single- or multi-subject teaching credential. The students take all of their classes together as a cohort at the community college and into their first semester at the CSU. Each cohort is matched with a Student Support Specialist who attends all classes with the students at the community college and provides wrap-around supportive services such as assistance with transportation, housing, child care, tutoring, job search and preparation, and general life coaching.

The model includes several important components:

• Afterschool Employment:  The students are paired with part-time jobs working with youth in afterschool programs providing an additional 500 classroom hours per year working directly with kids while providing income while they're in school.

• Cohort Model:  The program is designed so the students take all of their classes together as a cohort of approximately 30 students creating a network of support for them from their peers.

• Coaching and Supportive Services:  Each cohort of students is assigned a full-time Student Support Specialist who attends class with them providing wraparound support and serves as their motivational coach.  The Student Support Specialist helps create an environment of high expectations, aspiration, and camaraderie for the students while addressing practical day to day challenges such as needs related to child care, transportation, financial aid, and balancing work, school and family responsibilities.

• Academic Assistance:  Starting with a basic skills bridge program that reinforces their academics before entering community college to contextualized coursework to offering study sessions throughout the program, the California Teacher Pathway supports all students in achieving academic excellence.