San Diego’s PASS AmeriCorps Program Supports Educator Pipeline Through Mentorship and Community Leadership
As part of California’s Student Success Coach Learning Network (SSCLN), PASS AmeriCorps mentors improve student outcomes, develop the region’s future workforce, and build community
SAN DIEGO (January 26, 2026) - As of early 2026, California continues to face significant teacher shortages, especially in Special Education, math, science, Bilingual Education, and Career Technical Education (CTE), leading to overwhelmed teachers and larger classes, with many vacancies caused by teacher turnover. For more than 20 years, the Promoting Achievement and Student Success AmeriCorps (PASS AC) program through the San Diego County Office of Education—a member of the Student Success Coach Learning Network (SSCLN)—has served as a cornerstone of support for schools in San Diego County while helping to prepare the next generation of educators.
Today, PASS AC remains one of California’s strongest examples of a school mentoring program that gives young people an opportunity to work in a school setting, and receive training and professional development to encourage them to become educators and further strengthen the education pipeline. These mentors provide critical support to the region’s students and schools.
PASS AC places 35 full-time mentors in school sites across the county. Each mentor supports a caseload of about 30 students through individualized mentoring, social-emotional skill building, classroom push-ins, family resource support, life-skills workshops, and campus culture projects. Embedded full-time at school sites, PASS AC mentors become trusted, consistent adult figures for students most in need of connection.
Each year, PASS AmeriCorps delivers measurable student and schoolwide impact across 29 partner school sites in six districts. Program targets include enrolling at least 875 students for a minimum of 20 hours of mentoring, with at least 50 percent demonstrating improvement in academics, attendance, and student engagement/behavior by year’s end. Members also mobilize at least 10,500 student volunteers to support on-campus National Days of Service, contributing a minimum of 14,000 service hours to strengthen schoolwide engagement.
In the 2024–25 program year, PASS AmeriCorps exceeded all targets. Members served 1,067 students who met benchmarks across academics, attendance, and engagement, and recruited 24,760 volunteers who contributed 18,810 service hours through National Day of Service activities—more than doubling participation goals and significantly expanding campus-level impact.
“PASS AmeriCorps is a powerful pathway into education because our members don’t just learn about schools — they live the work every day,” said Monica Quiroz, Program Lead for PASS AmeriCorps and a program alumna. “Through full-time service, extensive coaching, and real responsibility on campus, our members leave prepared to become teachers, counselors, and school leaders. Many of our alumni are now serving in the same schools and districts where they once mentored students, which shows how deeply this program shapes both careers and communities.”
PASS AC also demonstrates how mentorship supports the region’s educator pipeline. Members receive extensive training—complementing graduate-level preparation—in coaching, SEL, behavior management, restorative practices, mandated reporting, equity, and youth development. Weekly coaching and support from PASS AC staff and site leaders provide real-world experience coordinating programs, engaging families, and contributing to school initiatives.
PASS alumni Briana Hernandez, who served in 2021-22 and currently employed at Coyne and Associates Education Corporation with a focus on early childhood instruction said, “My year with PASS AmeriCorps fundamentally shaped how prepared I was for life after service. In my current role, I manage a caseload of children and families every day, and I draw directly on the skills I built during my service year—balancing multiple responsibilities, coordinating schedules, tracking progress, and responding to the real, complex needs of students and families. That experience didn’t just prepare me emotionally for the work—it gave me the practical skills and confidence I needed to succeed in a career serving children and families.”
PASS AC is one of 14 partner organizations in the Student Success Coach Learning Network (SSCLN), which has deployed more than 1,100 student success coaches statewide is creating real impact through its programs. During the 2023-2024 school years, 73% of students improved semester grades with an average of 65% improvement in test scores. San Diego’s PASS AC program exemplifies the qualities that define SSCLN. For more information on PASS AC, visit www.sdcoe.net/students/pass-americorps and for student success coach opportunities across the state, visit www.ssclearningnetwork-ca.org.