East Palo Alto Academy (EPAA) opened in 2001 as the city’s first public high school in 25 years. We envisioned a school where first-generation, low-income students could access high-quality education and opportunities to positively impact their own lives, communities, and global society. For two decades, EPAA has been transforming lives by equipping our students with the academic knowledge, social-emotional skills, college-preparedness, and robust support system they need to challenge structural barriers. In 2001, we became a charter member of the Sequoia Union High School District. Today, our programs and services help 360 East Palo Alto youth develop their innate strengths in a safe space—and get to, through, and beyond college.

EPAA’s programs were previously supported by Stanford New Schools (SNS), a nonprofit in partnership with the Stanford University Graduate School of Education. In 2017, SNS was officially renamed East Palo Alto Academy Foundation (EPAAF). Our programs have since helped 70% of our first-generation, low-income students of color persist through college, well above the 42% national average. Now five years strong, EPAAF is a vital part of every EPAA student’s journey.