Grantee Spotlight: Project Rebound Helps Scholars Rebuild and Rise
Every year, a growing cohort of determined students walks onto the Stanislaus State campus with something many of their peers don't carry: the knowledge of what it means to rebuild. They've navigated systems, overcome obstacles most people never face, and made a deliberate choice to pursue higher education as a pathway to the future they're creating for themselves and their families. Project Rebound exists to make sure they don't have to do it alone.
Recently, Stanislaus Community Foundation awarded a $20,000 grant to the Project Rebound program from the Friends Outside Re-Entry Fund – a Field of Interest Fund, set up by a donor, that specifically supports those who were formerly incarcerated as they work to rebuild their lives. The grant brought to life a new initiative called Pathways to Success, designed to complement students’ academic growth with professional readiness and personal development.
Founded by Professor John Irwin in 1967, Project Rebound offers guidance to formerly incarcerated individuals in the enrollment process at the California State University (CSU). Over the last 50 years, the program has been adopted by 19 campuses, including Stanislaus State in 2019. The program has slowly grown to provide support to students beyond enrollment – connecting them to financial aid assistance, mentorship, and basic needs services.
Over the course of the year, Project Rebound facilitated six professional development workshops – each addressing key components of career readiness and workplace success. Six scholars attended the Alternatives to Violence (AVP) Workshop, an intensive two-day training where participants developed skills in conflict resolution, community building, and leadership. A graduation celebration brough scholars, families and friends together to mark the year’s achievements – with pins, stoles and a statewide ceremony at San Francisco State honoring their hard work and dedication. One student shared, “The AVP workshops taught and reinforced one of the most valuable lessons in my education: the power of taking action. When I first started at Stan State, I was very isolated and didn’t take the opportunity to be someone greater than a student in a classroom. These workshops provided the ability to put my passion and everything I have been learning into action.”
The impact of Project Rebound extends well beyond any individual student. Jen Sturtevant, Associate Vice President of Coordinated Access, Retention, and Equity Services, put it plainly, “We have the privilege of witnessing the transformation of our students and the educational transformation, firsthand, day in and day out. That education isn't just changing the scholar's life, it's changing families – it's changing generations. Project Rebound is proof that when people are given opportunity and support, they rise.”
A Project Rebound scholar echoed those sentiments. “It has been my experience with Project Rebound that has continuously reassured me that achieving extraordinary things is possible and that there is support every step of the way.”
SCF's support of Project Rebound reflects a core conviction: that a thriving Stanislaus County is built by investing in the potential of every person in it.
To learn more about the Project Rebound program at Stanislaus State, visit csustan.edu/project-rebound.