Our History

Partnership for Success is a collaboration between private and public schools in Pasadena providing a fully-funded summer enrichment program designed to help students realize their academic goals and learn the skills needed for a brighter future. Founded in 1990, the program brings together experienced teachers, dedicated support staff and alumni, and promising young students for a transformative educational experience with proven long-term results.

400+

PUSD students served each year

9

consecutive summers

over 40

Courses in Math, Science, Technology, Humanities, and the Arts

Partnership for Success is a unique collaboration between four Pasadena independent schools and the city’s public school district. Principals from Pasadena’s 14 public elementary schools select students for the program based on criteria including demonstrated academic and personal potential and limited access to summer academic enrichment.  Students spend nine consecutive summers in the program culminating with a transition to college after high school graduation. Westridge School hosts girls in fifth and sixth grade, while Chandler School hosts boys of the same ages. Mayfield Junior School hosts seventh- and eighth-graders, and Polytechnic School hosts students in ninth grade through their pre-college summer. 

Teachers in the program come from both the independent schools and from PUSD, providing opportunity for collaboration. In addition, young adults serve as interns, assisting the classroom teachers, and in many cases, teaching elective courses themselves. A majority of the interns each summer are graduates of the Partnership; others are alumni of the independent schools. 

Through this meaningful partnership with other schools and educators, our independent schools demonstrate their commitment to community engagement and their role as private schools that serve a larger public purpose.

INDEPENDENT SCHOOLS

Chandler School
Mayfield Junior School
Polytechnic School
Westridge School

PUSD ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS

Altadena Arts Magnet
CIS Academy
Don Benito Fundamental School
Field Elementary School
Hamilton Elementary School
Jackson STEM Dual Language Magnet Academy
Longfellow Elementary School
Madison Elementary School
Norma Coombs Elementary School
San Rafael Elementary School
Sierra Madre Elementary School
Washington Elementary STEM Magnet School
Webster Elementary School
Willard Elementary School

PUSD K-8 SCHOOLS

McKinley School

PUSD MIDDLE SCHOOLS

Eliot Arts Magnet Academy
Sierra Madre Middle School
Octavia E. Butler Magnet
Wilson Middle School

PUSD 6-12 SCHOOLS

Blair School
Marshall Fundamental Secondary School

PUSD HIGH SCHOOLS

John Muir High School Early College Magnet
Pasadena High School
Rose City High School

Dr. Jessica Pérez del Toro
626-470-7575
jperezdeltoro@pfspasadena.org

Dr. Jessica Pérez Del Toro became the new executive director of PFS on June 1, 2022. She is a graduate of Pasadena Unified School District (PUSD) and a former teacher of PUSD. She brings a deep appreciation and commitment to the program’s mission to help selected PUSD students realize their full academic and personal potential in a setting that fosters community, collaboration, and confidence. Since 2015, Dr. Pérez del Toro has been a member of the Westridge faculty, teaching Middle and Upper School Spanish and Latin American history. She served as Westridge PFS Site Director from 2019 to 2022 and has worked collaboratively with her teachers, interns, students, and their families to ensure their experience is meaningful and memorable. The recent formation of the PFS Mentor Program in 2020 is an excellent example of her efforts to provide genuine connections between the PUSD and independent school communities involved in PFS.

John W. Bracker
Board Chair, Partnership for Success
Head of School, Polytechnic School

Andrea Kassar
Head of School, Westridge School

Dr. Tara Gómez-Hampton
Scientist and Community Advocate

Emily Brown
Head of School, Chandler School

Katie Wei
Westridge School Faculty Member

Joe Sciuto
Vice Chair, Partnership for Success
Head of School, Mayfield Junior School

Julianne Reynoso
Student Wellness and Support Services
Pasadena Unified School District

Carmie Rodríguez
Founder, Partnership for Success

Joyce Ybarra Director of Grant Operations, Weingart Foundation