The San Marcos Promise (TSMP) is a non-profit education foundation supporting the over 21,000 students in SMUSD. TSMP builds dreams, pathways and prosperity, guiding and supporting students on their journeys to post-secondary education and into the workforce. But to truly affect change, we can’t operate in silos. So we are the bridge connecting education, business & industry, and community leaders to impact student futures. And I’m writing today to impress upon you the value, support, and purpose TSMP brings to our District.
We are a small but mighty team of 3. We have a Board of Directors made up of 11 extremely dedicated professionals and leaders in our community who help guide us forward.
I spent the first 20 years of my career as a school counselor, 14 of those years at San Marcos High School. So I am acutely aware of the difficulty and challenges faced everyday in raising and nurturing these young humans in our school system. It is monumental to say the least, and I think we’d all agree that these needs can’t be met by the schools and the district alone. So it is our Foundation’s critical aim to directly impact students and their futures, support teachers in their classrooms, and to help the District with these needs.
According to the research conducted by the North County Economic Development Council, any planning around education and the world of work should consider three key components:
- Continue to teach students how to learn- One of the most important elements of education today is not necessarily teaching students what they will be doing in their career five or ten years from now but teaching them how to learn both for technical and nontechnical skills in the future.
- Expose students to emerging industries, technologies, and career pathways- The fear that jobs are going to completely go away or diminish considerably is largely unfounded, but job requirements will change- students need to be exposed to the driving forces of some of these changes before entering the workforce.
- Provide students options for careers that connect their passions and abilities with opportunities in the marketplace- The world of work, with its changes and volatility, can be a scary and uncertain place. Helping students connect their interests and abilities with different career options should be an important part of what today’s education provides.
Click here to read the 2019 North County Indicators informative report generated by the North County Economic Development Council.
To help empower our students to navigate their future paths forward, we provide programs, resources and help create opportunities for students to learn about their strengths and interests and explore the many career and educational options that exist in their futures.
www.thesanmarcospromise.org
255 Pico Avenue Suite 103 San Marcos, CA 92069
Telephone (760) 290-2890
