FOUNDING
Ceiba was founded in 2008. Inspired by the philosophy that all students can learn with opportunity and support, our founders launched Ceiba with 150 sixth and seventh graders. Since then, the school has moved to its permanent facility and has graduated five classes of high school seniors.
Ceiba’s mission is to get students “to and through” college. Ceiba is committed to changing the landscape of the community it serves through education.
Ceiba is a public charter school serving more than 500 students. The student body is more than 95% Latino, and more than 80% of Ceiba students participate in the National School Lunch Program.
Ceiba has a 501(c)3 non-profit organization to support its initiatives, the Ceiba Public Schools (CPS) Foundation.
The CPS Foundation supports several initiatives which advance Ceiba’s mission including:
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Scholarships
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Currently, the Foundation awards over $80,000 annually in renewable scholarships to Ceiba graduates.
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Experiential Learning
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To help students explore the broadest possible range of educational and career opportunities, Ceiba and the Foundation encourage students to explore college campuses, learn about career opportunities, and visit cultural institutions outside of Watsonville.
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An annual event for graduating seniors recognizing high academic achievement and community service both at school and in the community.
MISSION
Ceiba is proud of its accomplishments since our opening:
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Of five graduating classes to date, close to 100% of Ceiba graduates have been accepted into college (half to 4 year colleges and universities and half to community colleges with plans to transfer to a 4 year).
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Ceiba enrolls students via a lottery process and consistently receives more than twice as many applications as the number of spots available.
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Ceiba’s current 11th grade class is outperforming the state average on the annual academic test in the area of English Language Arts.
SCHOOLS
Ceiba College Preparatory Academy
Ceiba College Preparatory Academy was founded in 2008 as a middle school serving students from Watsonville and the surrounding area along California's Central Coast. Ceiba College Prep now serves over 500 students in grades 6-12 and relocated in 2014 to a combined campus on Riverside Drive.