We, the staff, families and community of Hillcrest Elementary School, commit to encouraging each child's full academic potential and supporting their social and emotional growth. We also commit to creating a caring school environment that validates the individuality of each child, their learning style, home language and culture. Our goal is to help students become enthusiastic, lifelong learners who will make positive contributions to their families and their communities.

Description:
Hillcrest Elementary School is situated on the top of a hill in the southeast quadrant of San Francisco. The school is located in an area that is isolated from both shopping and community services and is considered difficult to reach by public transportation because of the limited bus lines to the neighborhood. Only a few of our students live within walking distance of the school. The vast majority come from the low-income neighborhoods of Bayview/Hunters Point and Visitacion Valley. These two neighborhoods have the highest crime rates and lowest household income in all of San Francisco.

Hillcrest’s students are approximately 37% Latino, 12% Filipino, 20% Chinese, 10% African-American, and 13% other non-white, including Palestinian, Afghani, Cambodian, Indian, and Samoan. In addition, 49% are English Learners and 77% receive free/reduced meals. Only 22% are performing at or above grade level on the CST. Our families face many challenges, from housing, to concerns around illegal residency and citizenship, to economic struggles in one of the most expensive cities in the country. To add to this, many of our families are in acute crisis. Violence pervades their neighborhoods and this, along with their economic struggles, often make it difficult for them to adequately care for the emotional or educational needs of their children.

Despite these challenges, Hillcrest has been making progress over the past five years, including a new focus on multilingual family outreach, parent involvement, a coordinated service delivery system and school climate. Our new principal, Richard Zapien, has brought new energy, ideas and raised expectations for both students and staff.

History:
Hillcrest Elementary Started as a one room school house in the early 1900's. It is part of the San Francisco Unified School District.

Contact people:

Stefanie Eldred, Social Worker, (phone), (email) Molly Pope, Literacy Specialist, (phone), (email) Ann Hughes, Teacher, (phone), (email)

Main office number: (415) 469-4722
Office fax number: (415) 469-4067

Address:

810 Silver Avenue San Francisco, CA 94134 (See a map)

Web Site: None specified

Directions:

It is best to use mapquest or google maps as it depends on where you are coming from. Hillcrest is located in the southeast sector of San Francisco.   Nearest Metro/Subway Stop: Glen Park Bart,   Walk distance (in minutes): 25   Nearest Bus Stop: 44 O'Shaugnessy, 1 minute walk

Miscellaneous Information

Besides English, which languages are spoken at your agency?
	Arabic, Cambodian, Cantonese, Spanish, Tagalog, Urdu, Vietnamese
What is the minimum age for volunteers at your agency?
	no minimum
Is your agency wheelchair accessible?
	Yes
Does your agency have the capacity to host groups of more than 10?
	Yes
Does your agency have the capacity to host groups of more than 20?
	Yes