High school students in a classroom

Igniting Potential

Igniting Potential (IP) was established in 2024 through a partnership between Assistance League of Capistrano Valley (ALCV) and the Advancement Via Individual Achievement (AVID) program in Capistrano Unified School District (CUSD). Its mission is to help underserved students realize their potential and pursue college and career opportunities. Intended Results: Students are better prepared to envision, pursue and navigate college and career opportunities contributing to the broader goals of supporting student success and closing the opportunity gap.

What We Do

ALCV supports AVID students through financial assistance for college visits, instructional supplies, and teacher training. Members also engage directly with students through:

  • Guest Speakers — Sharing knowledge, experiences, and career insights.
  • Mock Interviews — Helping students develop interview skills and confidence.
  • Topical Workshops — Providing practical skills and knowledge to support future success.

The program serves students at San Clemente High School, San Juan Hills High School, Dana Hills High School, and Shore Cliffs Middle School.

Our Impact

In 2026, Igniting Potential served 2,288 high school students and allocated $30,000 across participating sites. Since IP began, AVID enrollment across the district has increased by 77%, and CUSD has established a permanent district-level position to support AVID.

This program continues to evolve as needs are identified. More info about the San Clemente High School, San Juan Hills High School, and Dana Hills High School AVID programs.

 
Erin Dollar, San Clemente High School AVID Program Director, shared “The generosity of ALCV has enabled us to schedule three college field trips, a community builder trip, funding for two staff members to attend AVID summer training, as well as pay for each of our AVID juniors to take the SAT on campus. This is what ‘closing the opportunity gap’ looks like and will be instrumental in bridging the gap for these students to see that college and career opportunities are in fact attainable. Additionally, ALCV has donated hours of time to coach AVID seniors through mock interview panels and give sophomores a look into a range of careers through professionals as guest speakers.”
ALCV also provided hands-on support by assisting with mock interviews, giving seniors practice for scholarship interviews.  Additionally, we secured professionals to speak with sophomore students about careers. Our goal is to begin this program at SCHS and expand to other schools as funding permits.
 
Make a difference by helping children thrive by donating to Assistance League of Capistrano Valley. Click here to donate now.
The annual impact of this program is $30K.

Did You Know?

70%

of SCHS AVID Students go straight to a Four Year School

93%

of AVID seniors have earned at least one or more college acceptances

Igniting Potential Mock Interview Panel
ALCV Members at Mock Interview Panel
Classroom with guest speaker
ALCV Member Guest Speaker