SIMON SCHOLARS from Rancho Alamitos High School, along with board members and school faculty (Tribune photo).

By Jim Tortolano/Orange County Tribune

A program to provide support for African American pupils was approved by the Garden Grove Unified School District Board of Education at its meeting Tuesday night.

The vote was 4-0 with Board President Bob Harden absent.

Approved was a memorandum of understanding with the National Association for the Advancement of of Colored People, Orange County Branch No. 1052 to collaborate with the district.

Mentoring services will be provided to support third and fourth grade African American students at two GGUSD schools. They will include African American adult professionals aimed at helping pupils to focus on achievements and use “learned strength strategies,” as well as “gain tools to overcome difficult life-phases as they grow and develop.”

The mentors will undergo a background check and parental permission is required. Interaction between pupils and mentors will be via video.

Also at Tuesday night’s meeting was presentation of Simon Scholars from Garden Grove, Los Amigos and Rancho Alamitos high schools. The program is for economically disadvantaged students and provides a variety of academic and other assistance for their junior and senior years in high school.

Upon graduation, each will a receive a $16,000 scholarship for college and other support.

Simon Scholars is the creation of Simon Foundation, in partnership with the Council on Foundations, the National Scholarship Providers Foundation and the National Association for College Admission Counseling.

The next meeting of the GGUSD board is Oct. 18. The district serves most of Garden Grove as well as parts of Anaheim, Cypress, Fountain Valley, Santa Ana, Stanton and Westminster.