Bright Futures' Impact to Expand!

Hello Jennifer,

Bright Futures Park City will celebrate its tenth anniversary next year. As PCEF prepares to celebrate this milestone, our Board of Directors and staff have conducted a rigorous evaluation of the program's strengths and opportunities.

As a result, there are a few exciting updates about the program to share!

Click the button below or scroll down to find out when the changes begin and how they will help Bright Futures expand its impact in huge ways.

11 Bright Futures Students Will Graduate College in 2025

There are 11 Bright Futures Park City students on track to graduate college in 2025!

Please join us in honoring the hard work it took for these incredible students to make their educational dreams come true.

What is PCEF's

Bright Futures Program?

Bright Futures changes lives by supporting motivated first-generation students as they work to get to and through college.

The PCEF Bright Futures program walks alongside these first-gen students as they make their college graduation dreams a reality. 

Right now, there are 151 Bright Futures students – 66 in college - and they boast a 64% graduation rate.

Nationwide - just 24% of first-gen college students battling economic barriers make it to the college graduation finish line.

Your generosity is an investment into our future: it changes students' lives and economic outcomes for generations to come.

Please read on to learn how Bright Futures will serve even more students next year.

Bright Futures is Evolving to Serve More First-Gen Students!

Bright Futures Park City will celebrate its tenth anniversary next year! As PCEF prepares to honor this milestone, we are thrilled to share a few updates scheduled to take effect during our next fiscal year (July 2025 - June 2026). 

The Why

In the ninth year of running the Bright Futures (BF) program, Park City Education Foundation's Board of Directors and staff have rigorously evaluated areas of strength and opportunities. As a result, we see a chance to serve and impact exponentially more Park City High School first-generation students as they pursue their dreams and ambitions after high school. An opportunity to work with our most important partner, the Park City School District, will allow BF to embed more deeply into the school day – and ensure every first-generation student can access post-secondary readiness and support.

The How

Park City Education Foundation has traditionally run the high school portion of the program outside of the school day. Next year, PCEF will fund a certified, licensed, first-generation college counselor position inside PCHS to support every first-generation ninth- through twelfth-grade student. This will allow access to significant BF support within school hours, critical for students with packed extracurricular schedules, commitments to help family, and jobs.

PCEF will continue to fund essential high school programming elements, including college visits, and college preparation curriculum; as well as scholarship, college, and FAFSA application support. Our BF support will stay the same at the college level. Students will continue to receive one-on-one coaching, group experiences, financial aid, and emergency aid as needed to help them work to and through their post-secondary education.



Your Support

We hope you know how deeply your support impacts the 151 first-generation students we serve in the Bright Futures program! Thanks to your generosity, our community can honor BF’s 14 college graduates, its 66 college students working their way through post-secondary education, and the 85 high school students embarking on this remarkable journey. Your generosity has and will continue to make our students’ education dreams a reality.

If you have not had a chance to make your gift yet this year, now would be a wonderful time to affirm your support of our community’s first-generation college students as they pursue their college dreams.

If you have any questions about the program's evolution, please reach out!

With gratitude and appreciation,

Ingrid Whitley

President and CEO

Park City Education Foundation

First Generation Task Force at PCHS

Through Bright Futures, and the counselors, teachers and programming at PCHS, a full spectrum of support is provided for students who are the first in their families to go to college. 

Dream Big is an award winning year-round PCHS curriculum preparing these students for the academic rigor of AP classes and college concurrent enrollment classes.

The Latinos in Action classes from 6th-12th grade teach leadership and community service skills, focusing on the strength of students' bilingual capabilities and multicultural experiences.