Monetary Awards Program (The Tongan Pacific Islander Scholarship & After School Tutorial Program)

Monetary Awards are given to elementary and middle students of the San Mateo/Foster City School.
The Monetary Award of $5 is given to those that receive on their report card an "A" or a "B". Students
who receive Special Awards and Special Recognition for their outstanding school work receive $10. The
Monetary Awards Programs are held twice a year, the end of each semester. Each year many of the
students have report cards full of A's & B's.

The program was launched in the fall of 2005 by its founder Gus Naufahu and was designed to address
the need to support Tongan and Pacific Islander children who have limited resources at home to assist
with homework.

There have been celebrated improvement in the academic performance of participating children.
Reading and math scores have improved as a result of this after school program. The concentration on
skills in these critical academic areas enables the children to gain confidence in the classroom when they
return to school.

The volunteers supporting the program consist of high schools students, parents and retired members
of the community, who also serve as role models and encourage in their academic achievement.

Special Awards/ Special Recognition, i.e., Math, Science, Music, Academic Excellence, work habits,
attitude and citizenship and on the Principal's honors list.

Miguel Vasquez was born in the US; then went back to Mexico as a young boy. When he returned here, at age 17, he worked in a every fast food restaurant you can think of – Wendy’s, Berger King, Arby’s and McDonalds.

But Vasquez, unhappy with his prospect, decided to get his GED so he could move forward with his life. He passed all five tests the first time around.

Now, he has adopted a two-fisted approach to his future. He’s taking a culinary arts course at JobTrain so he can be a cook. And he’s taking ESL classes at Canada College. But Vasquez doesn’t want a career as a cook. Rather, he plans to work as a cook so he can support himself while he receives the training he needs to be a computer technician.

GED scholarship gives a hand to adults working hard on their own education....  Here is a letter showing early results from the first 6 months of the program.

Last year, INCH began a collaboration with the newly-created Sequoia District Adult School Foundation, an organization that provides scholarships to students who are unable to afford the costs of the GED tests.  Other charitable programs aid exceptional minority youth, and many (but insufficient) succor the needy.  This program depends on small donations from the faculty, staff, and friends of Sequoia Adult School to get matching funds from INCH.  INCH meets with the working-level scholarship committee from time to time to improve the program and to encourage results that these to raise the community, give hope to people past their teens, and to make a path for adults to show a good example to youth.

The Los Altos Town Crier acknowledges INCH and Stewart in a recent issue.  Read it by clicking on the Attachment below.

On Thursday, June 24, Sequoia Union High School District graduated another class of adult school students.  These people are now ready to pursue career or college, encouraged by success and unhindered by a missing high school diploma. 

INCH played its part, contributing funds to three students who otherwise would not have been able to pay for the exam!  At the graduation, INCH was acknowledged, and the speaker made an appeal to the audience for more support from them.

(picture forthcoming)