ECC Joins New "Promises that Count" Initiative

El Camino College's South Bay Promise was recently selected to participate in the newly established "Promises that Count" initiative. Funded by the California Community Foundation, the three-year initiative's goal is to ensure stronger academic support and student services in College Promise programs throughout Los Angeles County. As one of seven Promise programs selected to participate in the initiative's centerpiece "Community of Practice," the El Camino College team will share information about the South Bay Promise and learn from others in the group. That will include joining a "Promises that Count Alliance," designed to share best practices and strategies across programs. This countywide Alliance will convene several times a year to discuss common challenges and innovative solutions to improving and sustaining College Promise programs throughout the greater Los Angeles area.

South Bay Promise Highlights: The program will expand this fall to include 500 high school graduates from within the El Camino Community College District boundaries. Through this program, participating high school graduates from the class of 2018 who attend ECC full time after graduation will have enrollment fees waived for the first year. Eligible students must enroll in El Camino College directly after graduating from a high school (public, charter, private, or home school) located within the district, which includes El Segundo, Hawthorne, Hermosa Beach, Inglewood, Lawndale, Lennox, Manhattan Beach, Redondo Beach and Torrance.

ECC launched the South Bay Promise in 2014, partnering with Inglewood Unified and Centinela Valley Union High school districts. Torrance Unified School District joined the South Bay Promise this past fall and now the program will significantly increase enrollment for the upcoming 2018 fall semester. Students have access to free tutoring, counseling and other support programs to make sure they are successful at El Camino College. Through the South Bay Promise, students not only have access to higher education, but also to the services that they need to be successful and transfer or graduate and enter the workforce. Additionally, students can save more than $1,100 in ECC enrollment fees and can register for classes early with priority registration.