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Expanding Horizons: HFSV’s Commitment to High School STEM Success

By: Giselle Fernandez July 27, 2026

HFSV’s Seed (K-12) programming is continuing to create new pathways for high schoolers to explore their potential in STEM.

As part of our Strategic Plan, we are deepening our impact through new high school partnerships designed to strengthen A-G completion, college-readiness, and career-exposure interventions for Latino students and their families.

Building Collaborative Impact

We are proud to have collaborated with Cal-SOAP and College Track to create hands-on experiences for students this past school year.

San José Cal-SOAP Consortium

  • STEM Company Tour: Brought students from East Side Union High School District (ESUHSD) to Everpure headquarters for an exclusive tour, complete with a resume-building workshop and an interview panel of Latino professionals.
  • Higher Ed Week: Hosted STEM career panels at Overfelt and James Lick High School, featuring our Latinos in Technology scholars and alumni who shared their academic and career journeys.
  • Family Engagement: Led the Equipando Padres & Noche de Ciencias event at De Anza College in partnership with the Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers (SHPE), providing families with information on college applications for their students in STEM.

College Track East Palo Alto

  • Spring Engineering Education Days (SEEDs): Partnered to recruit Sequoia Union High School District (SUHSD) students and families for our pilot program at Santa Clara University, offering a deep dive into engineering pathways and higher education.
  • STEM Career Exposure: Extended invitations to families to participate in Alaska Airlines’ Aviation Day at SFO, providing students with firsthand exposure to STEM careers in the aviation industry.

Looking Ahead

As we move into the next school year, we are scaling our support to bridge persistent gaps in STEM career exposure. With our partners at College Track, we are preparing to launch two key initiatives to broaden SUHSD students’ horizons. First, we are planning a company tour focused on the healthcare industry. This trip is intended specifically to increase scholars’ exposure to high-growth careers they may not have previously considered. Second, we are coordinating a hands-on workshop for 9th–11th graders on applying to summer STEM experiences and on navigating the competitive application process. 

We have also formally joined the San José Cal-SOAP Consortium Board to collaborate with partners supporting ESUHSD students. This board brings together key stakeholders from universities, community-based organizations, and school districts with a strong impact in our region. Together, we will increase the number of ESUHSD students who finish high school and enroll in postsecondary institutions. In addition, HFSV has planned STEM field trips and interactive workshops in partnership with Cal-SOAP, designed to strengthen college knowledge, expose students to STEM pathways, and prepare them for success.

By expanding programming for high school students and their families, they will gain the confidence and clarity they need to help their students succeed in STEM. Our targeted workshops on the college application process, with exposure to careers and campus life, allow students to pursue these degrees and enter the Silicon Valley workforce.