Programs | L H S F

At Lincoln High School, we foster a college-oriented environment through a range of high school programs while also recognizing that vocational training is equally empowering.

From the moment students set foot at Lincoln, they are provided with resources that equip them for college applications, financial aid processes, vocational skill-building, and the academic as well as socio-intellectual demands of postsecondary education.

We believe in empowering our students to break the cycle of poverty, contribute to their communities, and achieve lives of choice and independence that extend well beyond college graduation or vocational certification.

The Lincoln Student Pantry Program

The Lincoln Pantry is a year-round donation pantry that is designed for the crisis and immediate needs of all students, but particularly those who are underprivileged or at-risk of not having access to the basic yet vital resources for personal and educational well-being.

The Lincoln Pantry offers clothing, toiletries, school supplies, snacks and other grocery items, bus passes, and household items such as laundry detergent. It is led by both students and staff, community supported and strictly confidential.

School Coordinator - Kelly Phillips
Foundation Coordinator – Noëlle Rábago

Lincoln Employee of the Year Award

The intent of the annual award is to recognize excellence within the approximately 35 classified employee base that work at Lincoln High School and perform the “behind the scenes” support that makes the educational experience a better one for the leadership team, staff/faculty, and students.

The employee titles include

Clerical Office Staff
Special Ed Classroom Aids
Custodial
Cafeteria
Health Aid

The committee will have sole discretion for determining eligibility and selecting a winner but will operate within basic guidelines like the Outstanding Educator Award program. This award is announced at final staff meeting in May. It is awarded at the Foundation's End of Year Party.

School Coordinator – Dr. Joseph Heffernan
Foundation Coordinator – Chan Thai

Thinkin’ Lincoln Contest

Write it

Write your idea down, but no more than 2 pages. The font must be at least 12-point and in Times New Roman. Your proposal must answer the following questions: What are all the team members’ names and emails? What is your proposal to help improve Lincoln? What is the problem your proposal hopes to address? How many students will your proposal help? What is the budget (the cost of the goods/service, installation, maintenance, etc.)?

Speak it

The top three proposals will perform oral presentations to the Lincoln Foundation Board Directors, and they will decide which proposal is first, second, and third.

Win prize money and recognition

The Foundation will present students from the top three proposals with prize money at a pizza party (including all contest participants). First place will receive $500 as well as funding for their proposal in the amount of $2,500. Second place will receive $300. Third place will receive $200.

Additional Rules

Only Lincoln students may participate and submit a proposal.
Each Lincoln student may only be part of one proposal.
A proposal must have a minimum of two but no more than five Lincoln students.
Proposals cannot advocate for consumable products (e.g., food).
Lincoln students may get outside assistance for help with ideas and tips on research, but the proposal must ultimately be their own work and they must participate with the implementation of their proposal.
Prize money will be divided equally among the listed students who are part of the top three proposals, regardless of the time, energy or effort put forth by each student.
The Foundation reserves the right to add or change the rules. All decisions by the Foundation are final.

School Coordinator – Kelly Phillips
Foundation Coordinator – Open

Garden of Growth Program

The students who take part in this project are members of two 9th grade English intervention classes taught by teacher Elizabeth Neely.

Those students are selected for this course if the following factors apply:

Their first language is something other than English.
They have been in this country (in the school system) for four or more years.
They have not been able to achieve the minimum passing score for proficiency on the California English Language Proficiency Assessments for California (ELPAC). The state expects that they should reach proficiency within four years from the time they are enrolled in a California public school. Should they not, they are flagged as Long-Term English Language Learners (ELLs).

The class is designed to close the achievement gap by mastering skills and developing strategies that should have been taught and retained in years past. The students are hand selected by both administration and SJUSD and generally are accompanied by a recommendation from their middle school teacher. These classes do not exceed a student to teacher ratio of 20:1.

The garden in 2017 after reading a novel the students connected to. Second semester, the class reads a few novels, one of which is Seedfolks. It is about an urban neighborhood that comes together to create a community garden in an old, abandoned lot.

After the class finishes that novel, the previous year's students ceremoniously bequeath the garden to the current class in a celebration that occurs during the Advisory period.

The current class then takes over and plants and grows spring and summer vegetables. The students tend to them all summer long with a watering rotation.

They grow tomatoes, cucumber, squash, eggplant, watermelon, pumpkin, three types of peppers, strawberries, blueberries, corn, sunflowers, and tomatillos. The students take home the fruits of their labor.

Foundation & School Coordinator: Liz Neely (under active development)

Classroom/Department Grants - $30,000

The Foundation provides classroom and department grants that benefit all students in all subject areas. These grants enhance classroom instruction, expand student horizons, support innovative ways of teaching, and/or provide equipment for long lasting classroom use and ongoing projects. Grants requesting short term use, consumable materials or annual software license fees will not be considered. These grants positively impact the educational experience of all Lincoln students.

Allocation Committee Selection Criteria

Demonstrated legitimate need
Equipment and supplies for course related activities
Technology that serves the program or course needs
Item not provided by the District
Improves productivity in the classroom or the teacher
Consistent with curriculum needs or essential to curriculum
Previously provided by District, but due to budget cuts is no longer available
Supports the goals of the Future Vision Mentoring Program
Supports the Career/College counseling activities of the school
Supports the Foundation (e.g. attends Foundation sponsored fundraisers, financial support, etc.)

Allocation Procedures

Allocations of Foundation funds will be made during the school year
Allocation requests will be submitted by the school administration, teachers, or staff
Grant requests shall include a description and purpose of the project or funding request and all costs associated with the request (item, shipping, tax, etc.)
All requests will be reviewed by the Allocation Committee (which includes the principal) at regularly scheduled Executive Committee meetings
The Foundation Board of Directors will approve the Executive Committee’s recommendation

Limitations: In general, the Foundation grants will not be used for:

Political parties or political issues
Individual staff development
Lost equipment or equipment damaged due to neglect
Items provided by the District
Requests that set an unwanted or broader negative precedent

School Coordinator – Dr. Joseph Heffernan
Foundation Coordinator – Rachel Bata

Scholarship Program

Manage the application process, application due date, contact donors and email the submissions for their review and selection for scholarship winner(s) presented at the Senior Awards Night and meet with donors when creating a new scholarship or adjusting a current scholarship. As of August 2024, these are the active scholarships:

Tim Starbird & Jane Starbird: Two Awards $1,000 each (Trade & Art Schools)
James L. Washburn II: Two Awards $2,500 each (Trade School)
Hammer Excellence in Leadership Scholarships: Two Awards $5,000 each (4 yr)
Bonnie Thompson Memorial Award: $2,500 (Teaching - 4 yr)
AMK Memorial Award: $2,500 (Performing Arts)
Marla Duino Lenz Award: $5,000 (San Jose State University - 4 yr)

School Coordinator – Dr. Joseph Heffernan & Academic Counselors
Foundation Coordinator – Open

Future Vision Mentoring Program

One of our programs that truly sets us apart from other school foundations is the Future Vision Mentoring Program. This program was established in 1993 to provide at-risk, mostly low income and minority students with volunteer adult mentors who provide them with the guidance and inspiration necessary to keep them on track and remain excited about creating successful futures.

The mentoring program assists mentees with goal setting, time management, prioritization, exposure to career development, interview techniques, resume writing, and building team comradery.

The mentor meets, at a minimum, monthly with the group and can schedule individual meetings as well.

School coordinator – Janet Owens
Foundation coordinator – David Gomez
How to Apply to be a Mentor - Apply Online

Mock Trial Program

The Lincoln Mock Trial team pairs students with volunteer attorneys to compete against students from Santa Clara County. Students are given the facts from the case and deliver their arguments using deduction, analysis, and vigorous organization. The class/competition begins in October through February at the county/state and national competitions. We need funds to cover the entry fee, professionally print exhibits, buy supplies for the three scrimmages hosted at Lincoln, and professional apparel for competitions for our students that otherwise couldn’t participate due to the expense.

School Coordinator – Staff member assigned by Dr. Joseph Heffernan
Foundation Coordinators – Richard Nguyen and Steve Ellenberg
How to Apply as a Student - Mock Trial is a 7th period elective class
How to Apply as a Judge - Apply Online

Outstanding Educator Awards: Two - $2,500 each

The committee will have sole discretion for determining eligibility and selecting a winner but will operate within basic guidelines: The intent of the awards is to recognize excellence in classroom teaching and Academic Counselor related work with students. Candidates in their first-year of teaching/counseling are not eligible for consideration. No one may win in consecutive years. The cash awards have no strings attached. Winners will have complete discretion on how to use prize money. Announced at the final staff meeting in May. It is awarded at the Foundation's End of Year Party.

School Coordinator – Dr. Joseph Heffernan
Foundation Coordinator – Chan Thai

The Donor Wall

The Donor Wall was built in 2011 and is updated every two to three years to add donors contributing $1,000+ in a single contribution. There is different space sizes based on the amount donated. The Donor Wall Campaign offers $500 spaces that are allocated around the border of the wall and are made available to individual contributors, class reunions, and senior class parents to honor their graduate.

School Coordinator – Dr. Joseph Heffernan
Foundation Coordinator – Open