Genesys Works - Bay Area Adds East Side Union High School District Superintendent Chris D. Funk to Its Board of Directors
Building Academic and Professional Success for Low-Income Students in Silicon Valley
SAN JOSE, Calif., Aug. 23, 2016 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Genesys Works - Bay Area (GWBA), the San Francisco-based office of national non-profit Genesys Works, announced today the addition of Chris D. Funk, Superintendent of San Jose's East Side Union High School District (ESUHSD), to its Board of Directors.
Genesys Works enables low-income students to build pathways to academic and professional success through extensive training followed by placement into paid, professional internships before they graduate from high school.
Funk championed the partnership between GWBA and ESUHSD earlier this year when the non-profit announced plans to expand to San Jose. With his support, 34 high school juniors from the city entered into the program this summer, with 16 moving onto meaningful internship within local South Bay corporations.
"So many of our high school students drive through Silicon Valley as opposed to driving Silicon Valley," says Funk. "What our students need is the opportunity for exposure and the opportunity to demonstrate their skill, talent and desire. The hands on experience through real internships that Genesys Works provides are helping to eliminate the opportunity gap."
Funk, a native of San Jose, began his career in education as a Civics and U.S. History teacher with East Side Union High School District at Yerba Buena High School back in 1990 and he returned as Superintendent in 2012 with the goal of eliminating the "Opportunity Gap" by holding the entire organization responsible for attaining the goal of providing every student a world-class education regardless of their economic, gender, or cultural background.
Prior to returning to East Side Union High School District, Chris spent 18 years with San Jose Unified School District and was principal of Lincoln High School for 5 of those years. Under his leadership, the school earned a California Distinguished School Award, 21st Century School of Distinction, and improved its API score by 30 points to narrow the achievement gap between Latino and white students by 40%.
An advocate for educational equity and career-relevant educational experience, Funk has ushered in innovative partnerships for the ESUHSD like Strive San Jose, the East Side Alliance and Spartan East Side Promise. He has been recognized for his vision and leadership with prestigious honors like the ACSA Region 8 Superintendent of the Year Award, and the President's Award from Santa Clara County Alliance of Black Educators.
"We are thrilled to have Chris's leadership added to our Board," adds Peter Katz, executive director for Genesys Works - Bay Area. "His extensive work with the district and commitment to the youth of San Jose will help us deepen our impact in the South Bay, and ultimately help close the opportunity gap for low-income students."
ABOUT GENESYS WORKS
Genesys Works, established in Houston in 2002 and now with locations in the San Francisco Bay Area, Chicago and Minneapolis/St. Paul, is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization. The program enables underserved youth to change their life trajectory through practical skills training, a yearlong meaningful internship with a major corporation, and college and career preparation. www.genesysworks.org/bayarea
ABOUT ESUHSD
East Side Union High School District, established in 1950, serves more than 23,000 students in grades 9-12 in San Jose, Santa Clara County (Silicon Valley). It has the seventh largest high school student enrollment in the state and the largest in northern California. The district's mission is to align decisions to create safe, dynamic and relevant learning environments that inspire critical thinking, problem solving and innovation. www.esuhsd.org
SOURCE Genesys Works - Bay Area
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