Pivotal

Pivotal focuses on high school and college-aged foster youth, investing in their education and employment opportunities. The group hires experts in foster care and collaborates with local agencies, nonprofit groups, universities, etc.

Formerly known as the Silicon Valley Children’s Fund, this nonprofit organization’s roots go back to 1989, when a group of community volunteers began working to build a children’s shelter. Since then, Pivotal has expanded its mission to include the educational needs of foster youth.

Twenty years ago, the organization started a college scholarship program. Then it began to address the high dropout rate among foster youths, engaging with students to boost graduation rates in both high school and college. In 2016 it joined forces with TeenFund to provide internships and jobs so students could gain work experience.

Through its varied programs, Pivotal offers coaching and enrichment to foster youths. And in 2020, it added a Remote Coaching Program to serve scholars who attend college outside the area.

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