Locations

Contra Costa County

Founded in 1981, 10,000 Degrees has expanded to eight Bay Area counties serving more than 16,000+ high school and college students each year. 10,000 Degrees launched its innovative college success program model in West Contra Costa in 2017. Today, we support more than 1,200 high school and 200 college students annually. Our local impact includes near-peer mentoring, financial aid advising, scholarships, and college matriculation support at two high schools, as well as community college students at Contra Costa College, Los Medanos College and Diablo Valley College.

Established in

2017

High School Students Served Annually

College & Financial Aid Workshops

High School Students Reached

Scholarships in FY23

$ 500

Awarded to

College Students

Partner Schools

High Schools

Sylvester Greenwood Academy
John F. Kennedy High

Colleges

Contra Costa College

The Opportunity in Contra Costa County

Meaningful change. Lasting impact.

Located in the East Bay and home to the Diablo mountain range, Contra Costa County is the ninth most populated California county with over 1.1 million residents. However, less than half of Contra Costa high school students are meeting the A-G curriculum requirements to enroll in college and there is a high percentage of socioeconomically disadvantaged students who are in need of our support. The pandemic and struggling economy have exacerbated educational and economic inequities, especially for our students from low-income backgrounds and BIPOC communities, as the troubling statistics at right demonstrate.

10,000 Degrees works to change that. We are committed to increasing student applications for free financial aid at our partner schools, and helping more socioeconomically disadvantaged students in Contra Costa County get into college, persist in college—and graduate with their degree. That’s our promise.

How we do it: We work directly with Contra Costa County students from low-income backgrounds to:

Foster a college-going culture
Introduce 2- and 4-year college pathway options
Help students apply for and enroll in college
Help students apply for and manage free financial aid (FAFSA & CA Dream Act). Just last year, with our support, FAFSA completion rates increased at Sylvester Greenwood Academy by 53% and at John F. Kennedy High School by 27% compared to the year before.
Provide scholarships and near-peer mentoring to help our students navigate the entire college success journey
Offer community college transfer support
and more!

Our support extends to, through, and beyond college: We offer paid internships and career development opportunities through our local business partners.

0 %

of Contra Costa County high school students are socioeconomically disadvantaged

0 %

of Contra Costa County high school seniors graduate without meeting the academic requirements to attend a four-year college

0 %

of Contra Costa County high school students did not submit applications for free financial aid

Your gift to 10,000 Degrees will allow us to help more Contra Costa students from low-income backgrounds achieve their college and career dreams.

What our partners, students, alumni, and staff have to say about 10,000 Degrees

Regional Stories

“I grew up in this community, and there was no college support for students like me. As a Board Member at 10,000 Degrees, I am committed to increasing access to resources and support systems that help students reach their goals and realize their full potential.”

"Several years ago, I was tutoring 3rd graders in Richmond. And I started thinking, what’s going to happen to these third graders when they go to high school? How are they going to get to college? Is what I’m doing helping them get there? I wasn’t sure. But I knew one thing for certain: 10,000 Degrees helps students just like these third graders get to college. And if we could have 10,000 Degrees in Richmond, I would feel a lot better knowing that they had the assistance they would need to go to college. So, I set out to find a way to get 10,000 Degrees to Contra Costa County. And the rest, as they say, is history. Education is the single most important investment we can make in our community’s future. And I’m delighted to say that at 10,000 Degrees, we’re making a difference each year."

"With 10,000 Degrees, I have been able to get the support I need for school. I've learned about how I should transfer, save money, and how I can plan ahead; all things I had struggled with while on my own. In-person classes have been hard because it makes my schedule more complicated, especially on busy days, but I believe that I can get through it with the resources I've been given."

"I had one of the most meaningful experiences during a financial aid meeting with a student and her parent. After explaining the costs of attendance and financial aid for two great universities, she was able to make a decision based on what she wanted, not her finances."

"As a college graduate, my impact has been encouraging the next generation to pursue a higher education and the importance of having a vision. Coming from Richmond, exposure to violence, drugs, and poverty is a story shared by many. My experience with 10,000 Degrees helped me become an ambassador for change who is empowered by success, as well as providing the opportunity to save my own life."

"10,000 Degrees has been one of the only people who have supported my transfer journey. While many high school advisors looked down on me, 10,000 Degrees was there supporting me and guiding me. During community college, I faced challenges as to who to ask questions to, now that I am transferring Claudia, (my 10,000 Degrees Fellow) has helped my transition by checking in on me."

"Higher education didn't seem like a possibility for me when I first started looking into colleges.I felt discouraged because of my immigration status. My family and friends didn't have first-hand knowledge and couldn't support me in this process. I saw education as a survival mechanism, and as an additional tool to sustain myself and my community. Being an educator now and being on the other side, I'm able to assess what the needs are for undocumented students and pave the way for others to make it through college and beyond. I'm very grateful for the support I received from 10,000 Degrees when I was a student and wanted to return the appreciation to 10,000 Degrees. That's one of the reasons why I joined the Contra Costa Advisory Board."

Contra Costa County, Student Interview

Regional Leadership Team

Christopher Gonzales

Chief Strategy Officer

Hugo Que

Director of College Access, Marin & Contra Costa

Anton Lyons

Regional Development Director Contra Costa

Contra Costa Advisory Board

Will Hayes, Co-Chair
Melody Howe Weintraub, Co-Chair
Karandeep “Deep” Bains
Amritpal “Amrit” Bath
Mark Bustillos
Wynne Grossman
Andrew Hayes
Susan Lindheim
Jessica Mena Flores
Karen Platt
Lynne Royer

Locations

Contra Costa County

Established in

2017

High School Students Served Annually

Scholarships in FY23

Partner Schools

The Opportunity in Contra Costa County

Meaningful change. Lasting impact.

Regional Stories

Student Stories

Contra Costa County, Student Interview

Regional Leadership Team

Christopher Gonzales

Hugo Que

Anton Lyons

Contra Costa Advisory Board

Get in Touch.