The El Monte Promise Foundation — selected by the White House as one of 230 Bright Spots in Hispanic Education — covers an area due East of Los Angeles along I-10. And that Foundation has identified four initiatives for its focus.

• Building a cradle to college pathway by ensuring students have the tools, support, and resources to pursue higher education.

• Community engagement with both residents and developing partnerships facilitating communication between parents, schools and stakeholders.

• Financial literacy and education through the support of the community and its students to improve their understanding of the financial world.

• The Scholars Savings Program which helps parents to become active in financing their child’s pursuit of higher education by opening 529 college savings accounts. For every monthly deposit a child’s family makes into a savings account, no matter how small, the foundation will contribute $2 to $6 to the fund.

“We all want our children to thrive and education is one of the most powerful paths to a successful future,” El Monte Mayor Andre Quintero said. “We are investing in future generations so that they can give back to the communities that believed in them. I am so proud that we received this recognition and thank all the partners who believe in El Monte’s children.”