Homeless Students From Project HOPE Aspire Towards College & Successful Careers

IRVINE, CA--(Marketwire - Apr 18, 2011) - Stanbridge College opened their doors to the 6^th, 7^th, and 8^th graders of Project HOPE, a non-profit school for homeless children in Orange County, to help educate them about going to college and aspiring towards a successful career.

Tim Powers, Stanbridge College's Dean of Instruction, spoke about the program requirements and advised the students to "work hard in both junior high & high school, get the best grades possible and stay out of trouble." While a tough message, it reflected the obstacles these kids are forced to overcome daily. The tour also included educational presentations from the Vocational Nursing, Information Technology and Occupational Therapy Assistant departments, detailing what each program is and what type of career it would lead to.

The most exciting part of the day for the Project Hope students came at the end of the tour, when they visited the Nursing and Occupational Therapy Skills Labs and observed the Stanbridge students practicing their knowledge on mannequins. Jonathan, a Project Hope student, wrote to Stanbridge College a week later and said: "Thank you for the talk and tour, I really like that I'm now motivating myself to do better in school." Another Project Hope student, Nathan, wrote: "I liked the OT program best. It is cool because there's nothing better than helping people get their abilities back."

"The tour was a great success for both parties. As an institution that places great value on community outreach we are thrilled to support the initiatives of Project HOPE and look forward to our continued partnership," says Yasith Weerasuriya, President of Stanbridge College.

About Stanbridge College
Irvine, California based Stanbridge College is a co-educational technical college with an annual enrollment of over 600 students. Founded in 1996, Stanbridge College is nationally accredited by the Accrediting Commission for Career Schools and Colleges, ACCSC, and offers Diploma, Associate and Bachelor of Science degree programs in Vocational Nursing, Information Technology and Accounting.

Stanbridge College has been recognized as one of America's Best Technical Colleges by Institutional Research & Evaluation, Inc., and is a 2008-2009 ACCSC School of Excellence Award Recipient from the Accrediting Commission of Career Schools & Colleges (ACCSC). Stanbridge College has also been named to the 2009 President's Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll, the highest federal recognition a college or university can receive for its commitment to volunteering, service-learning and civic engagement. Stanbridge College has maintained one of the highest continuous pass rates in California since 2007on the NCLEX national nursing board exam with a 98% cumulative pass rate.

About The Project Hope School
The Project HOPE School is a non-profit, public, alternative education program created to help children without permanent homes transition into the mainstream educational system. The Project HOPE School offers instruction in small, multi-grade classrooms, educational resources, and transportation to and from motels and shelters to disadvantaged kids around Orange County.