About Us » Our Story

Our Story

Beginning

Bert Corona Charter High School (BCCHS) opened in August 2015. BCCHS is part of the YPICS family of schools. Bert Corona Charter High School prepares students in grades 9–12 to be college- and career-ready, active citizens, and lifelong learners. Our school is in Pacoima and serves students primarily from the northeast San Fernando Valley.
 
Our school is named after Bert Corona, a Latino activist who dedicated his life to achieving social and economic justice for underserved immigrant communities in Los Angeles and nationwide. Born to immigrant parents in the Bor­der town of El Paso in 1918 and inspired by his father’s par­tic­i­pa­tion in the Mex­i­can Rev­o­lu­tion, Corona dedicated his life to fighting economic and social injustice. His untir­ing activism, based on coalition-building and community mobilization, spans much of the twentieth century. Bert Corona worked along with Cesar Chavez and the UFW organizing farm workers. In the political sphere, he served as co-chair for both Lyndon B. Johnson’s and Bobby Kennedy’s presidential campaigns in California. Bert Corona’s experiences are historical, inspirational, and political. Bert Corona is credited, along with others, with founding the modern Chi­cano movement.

Approach

Children are the focus of our families and, therefore, are the primary focus of our schools. Families are the building blocks of a community. By lifting families, we can build strong communities. YPICS looks at the needs of students through a parent’s eyes to make their hopes and dreams a reality. We provide a positive, just, equitable, diverse, and inclusive culture. Our schools are focused on supporting families to help their children succeed in life by ensuring access to high-quality, rigorous education and by providing a positive culture in a public school setting.

School Initiatives

  1. Project-Based Learning: Students are engaged in interdisciplinary learning that is focused on student creation to make content more exciting and relevant to their own lives.
  2. Service Learning: Students are involved in helping to determine and meet real, defined community needs. It is reciprocal in nature, benefiting both the community and the student by combining a service experience with a learning experience.
  3. Enhanced Learning: Technology is integrated within the curriculum so that students learn computer skills while pursuing academic goals. Specifically, BCCHS offers a Career Technical Education Pathway in Media Arts.
  4. Parent and Community Involvement: Students and families are provided support through a community school model. YPICS embodies the belief that students thrive when they are part of a supportive community.
Bert Corona was able to "find a hero in Everyone!"
-Margo De Lay, Daughter of Bert Corona