Mission Graduates is a nonprofit organisation founded in 1972, dedicated to advancing educational equity for under-resourced, Latinx, and first-generation students from kindergarten through college graduation and into careers. Based in San Francisco's Mission District, the organisation partners with 12 schools across the city and has served thousands of youth and families over five decades.
The organisation runs a range of programmes spanning a student's educational journey. These include after-school enrichment activities, high school college-to-career programming, and the College Connect six-year cohort programme, which provides sustained college support - 100% of College Connect seniors attend a two- or four-year college. It also operates a Parent Partner Programme that trains parent leaders in advocacy, recognising that family engagement is integral to student success.
Mission Graduates reports measurable outcomes from its work. Students in its programmes are more than twice as likely to meet or exceed grade-level literacy expectations. The organisation's stated vision is to transform culture so that college becomes the expectation for Mission families, embedding educational attainment within the broader community.