East Palo Alto Academy

Advisors at East Palo Alto Academy High School work to develop deep, meaningful relationships with their advisees and empower students to excel in personal and social responsibility. Our Advisory program is the heart of our school; we believe that every student should have at least one adult on campus who will play the role of advocate and confidant. Every student should have a place on campus that feels like home, complete with trusted family members.

Advisory is a school-wide program in which students learn and develop the skills necessary for academic monitoring, social-emotional wellbeing, and career- and college-readiness. Inspired by the distributive counseling model, each teacher is assigned a small group of 15 students and together the advisor and advisees work to set and meet S.M.A.R.T. goals in a variety of areas. Advisors are in constant communication with parents, administrators, counselors and community partners to advocate for their students’ goals and needs.

Advisories meet for 80 minutes 3 times per week, and students receive ten units toward graduation annually for the course. Advisory classes are structured according to grade-level goals, and each class adopts their own routines to ensure optimal community building, time-management and student buy-in. This course thrives in the midst of a delicate balance of structure, fun, accountability, and deep trust.