Santa Maria Community Services is pleased to announce it has been awarded $25,000 from the L&L Nippert Charitable Foundation for its High School Equivalency (HSE) Program. The HSE Program offers free HSE preparation and test registration services to low-income individuals age 16-24 in an effort to develop a community which empowers individuals to improve their lives and neighborhoods through education, while inspiring them to work, learn, and grow.
The High School Equivalency Program provides educational tools and resources to those in the community who are most “at-risk,” using secondary education to move individuals and their families out of poverty. These educational tools are coupled with comprehensive employment and case management services to assist participants with long-term employment goal planning and barrier removal as they participate in the program. The Program uses a combination of individualized curriculum, tutoring, and re-testing, to prepare adults to pass the GED (General Education Development) exam or TASC (Test Assessing Secondary Completion).
L&L Nippert Charitable Foundation’s mission is to continue Louis and Louise Nippert’s long-standing and generous philanthropic efforts to benefit the residents of the Tri-State Area. Louis and Louise Nippert established the L&L Nippert Charitable Foundation in 1981 to provide financial assistance to worthy organizations who provided charitable activities and services. The Board of Trustees of the L&L Nippert Charitable Foundation remain committed to Mr. and Mrs. Nippert’s charitable mission by awarding grants to organizations that the Nipperts supported during their lifetimes. These organizations represent areas that include, but are not limited to, the cultural arts, education, environment and health.