Puente Project
Transfer to a four-year college. Earn your degree. Return to your community as a leader and mentor for future generations. It all happens with the Puente Project.
Creating California’s Future Leaders
If you’re from an educationally underserved community and have dreams of going to a four-year college, the Puente Project is for you. When you join the program, you'll be part of a learning community that gets you and knows how to help you achieve your education goals.
Puente Project students:
- Succeed academically
- Get recognized as leaders and scholars
- Graduate from four-year colleges and universities
- Belong to a statewide and national network of leaders and professionals
- Receive priority registration
In fact, community colleges with Puente Programs transfer 44% more Latino students to the University of California than colleges without the Puente Program.
Ready to get started? Register for our next information session, or chat online with a Puente counselor. We’re looking forward to meeting you!
35+
Years of student success5,550+
Students enrolled18,000+
Professional volunteer and mentor hoursHow It Works
Puente provides three areas of service to help you transfer to a four-year college or university:
You’ll take two consecutive writing classes, English 1AS in the fall and English 1C in the spring.
These classes provide a supportive and stimulating environment for Puente students to build confidence in their writing skills through an exploration of the Mexican American/Latino experience and multicultural literature.
You’ll work closely with your Puente counselor until you graduate, exploring career options, developing an academic educational plan and identifying lifetime goals.
You’ll also visit University of California and California State University campuses and attend Puente student transfer conferences.
You’ll be matched with a mentor from the business or professional community. Mentors share their personal, academic and career experiences, and provide a window into "real-life" work environments.
It’s a lifelong network for Puente students, their families, colleges, and the community.
You’ll take two consecutive writing classes, English 1AS in the fall and English 1C in the spring.
These classes provide a supportive and stimulating environment for Puente students to build confidence in their writing skills through an exploration of the Mexican American/Latino experience and multicultural literature.
You’ll work closely with your Puente counselor until you graduate, exploring career options, developing an academic educational plan and identifying lifetime goals.
You’ll also visit University of California and California State University campuses and attend Puente student transfer conferences.
You’ll be matched with a mentor from the business or professional community. Mentors share their personal, academic and career experiences, and provide a window into "real-life" work environments.
It’s a lifelong network for Puente students, their families, colleges, and the community.
Are You Eligible?
You’re a great candidate for the Puente Project if you're:
- Committed to the goals of the Puente Program, including an intent to transfer to a four-year college/university
- Eligible for English 1AS in the fall semester, or by completing the Prerequisite Coursework Survey
- Able to take Human Development 101 and Human Development 105 courses with the Puente Program
To get started, you must attend a Puente Information Session in the spring/summer semester. Enrollment in the program is on a rolling basis, but students are accepted into the program only during the fall semester.
Become a Mentor
Ready to give back to your community? Mentor a Puente Project student in your area of expertise.
Meet the Puente Family
The experience and expertise to guide you every step of the way.
Contact Us
Puente Project
Maribel Hernandez mhernandez@elcamino.edu
310-660-3593 x6568
Griselda Castro gcastro@elcamino.edu
310-660-3593 x3403