News Archives - PUENTE Learning Center

Team PUENTE Takes on the Boyle Heights 5K

Gabriela Haro — Tue, 28 Oct 2025 16:18:06 +0000

We were proud to once again participate in the annual Boyle Heights 5K and to serve as a water station to runners as they took to the streets of Boyle Heights on October 18th. Our partnership is more than just a service—it is a visible show of our commitment and connection to our community.

We’re especially grateful to the runners of Team PUENTE: 61 charter students, 67 parents, 11 staff and adult-student runners, along with 3 preschool students and 4 preschool parent-student runners. Thank you all for stepping up, coming together, and representing our school community with energy and pride.

This was a rich community event—not only about finishing times, but also about showing up. Along the route, at the hydration station and at the finish line, our PLC team cheered, handed out water, smiled, and high-fived. That kind of visibility matters. It tells our students and families: we believe in you. We believe in our neighborhood. We believe in being present.

That multigenerational participation—from runners who were younger, older, students, parents, and staff—reminded us all that PLC is not just a school; it’s a community hub. We show up for each other, and we show up for our neighborhood.

Thank you to every single runner, walker, volunteer, and supporter. Thank you to our charter students, our preschoolers, their families, our staff. Your dedication brings the PUENTE spirit into the streets of Boyle Heights. Thank you for being visible, for being active and for showing up.

We look forward to more community events, more moments of connection, and more chances to show that PLC stands with our families and our neighborhood every step of the way.

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PUENTE Charter School Selected as Community Schools Grantee

Gabriela Haro — Tue, 14 May 2024 20:06:15 +0000

We are proud to announce that PUENTE Charter Elementary School has been selected as an implementation grantee in the California Community School Partnership Program. With this grant, PUENTE stands as a beacon of hope, embracing a transformative approach to education. With transformative support of $1 million+ over the next five years, this grant is a testament to our commitment to addressing deep-seated educational disparities that have plagued the PUENTE community and the Boyle Heights neighborhood for generations.

Community Schools Approach

Our receipt of the Community Schools Grant heralds a new chapter in our mission to foster positive change within our community. With this grant, we can expand our existing initiatives and implement new programs that directly address the needs of our students, staff, and families. One of the primary goals of PUENTE Charter Elementary is to foster a positive school climate where every student feels valued, supported, and empowered to succeed. Through initiatives such as extending school days, health services, and extracurricular activities, we aim to create a nurturing environment where students can thrive academically and personally.

By providing comprehensive support services, such as Food Distributions, Vision Screenings and Enriched Learning, all within the school environment, Community Schools aim to mitigate the academic and social impacts that students face outside of the classroom.

PUENTE Charter as a Community School

Community schools like PUENTE Charter Elementary are more than just institutions of learning; they are community hubs, aiming to uplift students most affected by the inequities present in our educational system. Community schools recognize that a child’s potential cannot be fully realized if they are burdened by the weight of external challenges such as poverty, inadequate healthcare, or lack of access to resources. As a community school, PUENTE Charter Elementary will continue to work on identifying student barriers, collaborate with community partners to leverage resources, and improve the overall well-being of students within the neighborhoods we serve.

Moreover, PUENTE recognizes the importance of bridging the gap between home and school. By actively involving parents and caregivers in the educational process, we strive to create a collaborative partnership that reinforces learning both inside and outside the classroom. The Community Schools Grant provides us with the resources needed to enact meaningful change and break the cycle of educational inequity. By leveraging community partnerships and embracing a ‘whole-child whole-family approach’ to education, we continue to pave the way for brighter futures for our students and our community as a whole. Through the Community Schools Grant, we are not only changing outcomes for individual students but also laying the foundation for a more just and equitable society.

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Facility Renovation Project Update

Matt Wells — Mon, 15 Jan 2024 21:59:54 +0000

We have some new shots of our construction in progress. When it’s completed in 2025, the renovated PUENTE facility will include: (1) upgraded building to meet required occupancy codes and seismic standards, (2) exterior bracing, additional staircases, replaced walls, and a building type update, and (3) re-purposing 8,000 square feet of classroom space on the second floor. More than adding space and meeting key physical needs, the renovation is positioning PUENTE to address changing educational needs for many years to come.

Our building remains open and fully operational during construction. We are so grateful to all our students, families, and staff for their patience and flexibility during this time.

Construction is provided by Mata Construction and design is by Berliner Architects. Thank you to the project’s major funders: the Helen and Will Webster Foundation, GPSN, the Walton Family Foundation, and the Ahmanson Foundation.

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PUENTE Charter Elementary School Highlighted for Excelling in Service to English Learners

Deisi Gonzalez — Mon, 23 Oct 2023 22:05:59 +0000

California Charter Schools Association (CCSA) highlighted PUENTE Charter Elementary School in its CharterNation publication, a premier source for charter schools news and stories from California. CCSA released a research brief earlier this month that offers new insight into English learners who attend California Charter public schools.

An English learner (EL) is an individual who has limited proficiency in the English language. Within California’s K-12 system, EL students speak English as a second language. Most come from immigrant families or families with strong ties to a country other than the United States.

“When analyzing academic performance, our data shows that all public schools — both charter and district-run public schools — have more work to do to ensure ELs become proficient in English and progress academically,” according to CCSA. However, its research brief also reports two CCSA member schools that are innovating and overcoming systemic obstacles to support the needs of their EL population, including PUENTE Charter Elementary School.

Read full story

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Thank you for supporting PUENTE Learning Center at !Servicio e Impacto!

Deisi Gonzalez — Tue, 17 Oct 2023 00:39:34 +0000

We are deeply grateful to all of you who attended and contributed to !Servicio e Impacto! on Thursday, October 12th, 2023. Thanks to you, we’re thrilled to report that we raised over $65,000 (and counting!) in support of our programs and services that build bridges to education and opportunity for over 2,000 children, youth, and adults.

We had three outstanding honorees:

The Riordan Foundation, introduced by Mary Odell, Board Chair of the Riordan Foundation, was presented with the Riordan Community Impact Award for over thirty years of philanthropic support of PUENTE Learning, including our educational facility, which is named in the former LA mayor Richard Riordan’s honor. Mrs. Elizabeth Riordan, wife of late Richard Riordan, received the Award on behalf of the Foundation.

Viviano Juarez, introduced by his wife Diana Juarez, Vice Principal of PUENTE Charter School, received the Volunteer Service Award for 25 years of volunteer service at PUENTE Learning Center, impacting thousands of students and families over the years.

Citi Foundation, introduced by Chun Wong, Board Chair of PUENTE Learning Center, received the Champion for Equity Award for its work to promote economic progress and improve the lives of people in low-income communities around the world. Anabel Santamaria, VP Community Relations at Citi Foundation accepted the Award on behalf of the Foundation.

Emceed by Carolina Márquez, Radio Personality with Cali 93.9, the evening featured inspiring stories from PUENTE leaders, community members and supporters. The evening came to a close with an inspiring performance of Disney’s Coco ‘El mundo es mi Familia” by PUENTE Charter School students.

On behalf of PUENTE, thank you to everyone who sponsored, supported and participated in the event.

Learn more about ¡Servicio e Impacto!

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A Message From The Riordan Foundation

Deisi Gonzalez — Fri, 15 Sep 2023 17:11:37 +0000

For 38 years, PUENTE Learning Center has been building bridges to learning and opportunity in L.A.’s Boyle Heights community. Launched as a tutoring program for struggling first and second graders in a former Masonic Temple on East First Street, PUENTE is now a vital community resource, valued for its intergenerational approach to education and sustained by strategic public-private partnerships.

For 35 years, Dick Riordan supported PUENTE’s mission with his heart and his philanthropy. In the early 1990’s, he purchased the land on which its beautiful Boyle Avenue campus sits and continued helping PUENTE with grants from The Riordan Foundation. PUENTE Learning Center is one of Dick’s lasting legacies to the city he loved. He would be thrilled by the creation of PUENTE’s Riordan Community Impact Award, which The Riordan Foundation will be honored to accept at PUENTE’s upcoming ¡Servicio e Impacto! annual fundraising event on October 12th.

With gratitude for your consideration of the attached sponsorship opportunities, we invite you to join The Riordan Foundation in supporting PUENTE by purchasing a sponsorship and attending the event or making a donation in Dick’s honor. We hope to see you on October 12th and thank you in advance for your generosity to PUENTE, an organization Dick championed and loved with all his heart.

Warmest Regards,
Elizabeth Riordan, Mary Odell, and Carl McKinzie
The Riordan Foundation

Learn more about ¡Servicio e Impacto!

Purchase Event Tickets

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State Senator Maria Elena Durazo Meets With PUENTE CEO Jerome Greening at Boyle Heights Campus

Deisi Gonzalez — Wed, 30 Aug 2023 21:06:56 +0000

It was an honor to welcome Senator Maria Elena Durazo, representative of California Senate District 26, to PUENTE Learning Center earlier this month.

The 26th District that Senator Durazo represents includes diverse neighborhoods of Los Angeles such as Boyle Heights, East Los Angeles, El Sereno, Highland Park, and more.

During her visit, PUENTE CEO Jerome Greening engaged in meaningful conversation with Senator Durazo, underlining the profound impact our organization continues to make within her district. The Senator’s visit concluded with a tour of our campus, where she received a warm embrace from the youngest learners in our school.

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PUENTE’s Lideres Inc. STEM entrepreneur students win 1st place in national competition

Deisi Gonzalez — Fri, 28 Jul 2023 18:05:42 +0000

PUENTE’s Lideres Inc. STEM entrepreneur students achieved a remarkable feat at the UnidosUS: The Power of Us Conference in Chicago, Illinois during the weekend of July 22-24, 2023. Their innovative ‘Ping’ product and business pitch secured them 1st place in the entrepreneur competition, with each of the four participants taking home HP Chromebooks.

The panel of judges, comprised of executives from FedEx, not only evaluated the seven groups of high school student participants but also co-sponsored the Lideres Inc. STEM Entrepreneur Summer Program in partnersip with Shell and UnidosUS.

Many thanks to UnidosUS for their invitation and unwavering support, making it possible for 15 members of our College and Career program, which included youth, parents, and staff, to attend the annual conference with all expenses covered.

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In loving memory of Richard J. Riordan

Deisi Gonzalez — Tue, 02 May 2023 17:38:51 +0000

It is with a heavy heart that we share that PUENTE Learning Center supporter and former LA Mayor Richard Riordan passed away on April 19, 2023 surrounded by his closest loved ones. He will be deeply missed, especially for his unwavering passion for serving others.

Richard Riordan’s legacy at PUENTE Learning Center will live on for many years to come. Richard gave PUENTE Learning Center the land where our Boyle Heights campus is located. Bringing people in from every corner of his universe, Richard provided essential leadership during the capital campaign to construct our 48,000 square foot educational facility, which is named in his honor. For over thirty years, Richard continued his philanthropic support of PUENTE Learning Center, in part through the Riordan Foundation.

Richard’s legacy is tremendous. Hundreds of thousands of students have had more opportunities to succeed because of his leadership and generosity in making sure that PUENTE Learning Center could have an outstanding facility and a sustainable future.

To honor his incredible legacy, PUENTE Learning Center has created the Richard J. Riordan Memorial Fund, dedicated to helping students reach their fullest potential and achieve their educational and career goals.

For any questions and for larger donations, please email donate@puente.org so more of your gift benefits our students directly.

We will miss Richard Riordan dearly, but his vision of building bridges to education for those who need it most continues through the passionate work of PUENTE Learning Center.

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Groundbreaking Ceremony

Deisi Gonzalez — Fri, 28 Apr 2023 00:21:41 +0000

PUENTE Learning Center’s Groundbreaking Ceremony on Tuesday, April 25, 2023 marked the beginning of construction on its $10 million+ facility renovation. Designed by Berliner Architects, the project includes a seismic upgrade and other enhancements to accommodate the expansion of PUENTE Charter Elementary School and to make the Richard J. Riordan Building safe, accessible, and welcoming for many years to come—with exterior bracing, additional staircases, and more.

Construction will take place over the next 18 months and is scheduled to conclude in late 2024. The damper construction approach will be utilized to maintain routine operations with minimum interference.

Thank you to the generous donors who provided major support for this project: the Walton Family Foundation, GPSN, the Ahmanson Foundation, and the Helen and Will Webster Foundation.

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