About Project Stepping Stone

Project Stepping Stone of Indiana is a program of the Escala Foundation that helps Indiana’s Latino students prepare for college and beyond. This program is offered at no cost to students and is carried out by a 100% volunteer crew and funded by the generosity of individuals and corporate partners.

Our Mission

Our goal is to improve post-secondary enrollment and success among Indiana’s Latino high school students. Project Stepping Stone of Indiana has a 18-year track record of success in preparing the state’s Latino high schools students for college and career success. Since its inception, PSS has witnessed a positive success rate in getting our graduates into college. In fact, over 80% of the seniors who attended Project Stepping Stone go on to pursue a post-secondary degree. In turn, many of these students inspire and encourage other students in their communities.

The PSS Story

Project Stepping Stone of Indiana was launched in 2004. Our one-week college prep summer program (in June) helps Latino high school juniors prepare for college and beyond. Selected students will be introduced to potential careers and includes visits to several of Indiana’s leading college campuses and businesses. 

As educators, business leaders, and influencers who touch the lives of many students, we are challenged daily by the obstacles that keep low-and moderate-income students from moving on to higher education. For most of these students, the dream of going to college seems out of reach. PSS provides the opportunity for students to see the value of education beyond high school and we help underscore how critical a college degree can become to realizing their dream for themselves and their families. At PSS, we turn dreams into reality.

Why PSS Matters

PSS student participants come from all walks of life. They are similar in that they identify as Hispanic/Latino, they are high academic achievers and they have the desire to go to college. Over 85% also identify as the first in their family to attend college. We believe education is the key to success for our Hispanic community throughout Indiana.

The gap in levels of educational attainment among Latino adults age 25 and older also remains a challenge. 40.4% of US born Latinos in the state and 53.1% of Latin American born adults fail to graduate from high school versus 14.7% for all adults. Even more critical, only 11.3% of US born Latinos in the state and 8.4% of Latin American born adults attain a bachelor’s degree versus 21.2% for all Hoosiers. 

According to U.S Census Bureau data, there remains a significant discrepancy in income and poverty levels between Indiana’s Latino and non-Latino populations (19.3% of US born Latinos in the state and 23.8% of Latin American born families live in poverty versus 9.0% of families for the overall state population).

We are here to change these stats – one student at a time!