What Hillsides Education Center does

Hillsides Education Center (HEC) was a non-public therapeutic residential and day school operating on a 17-acre main campus in Pasadena, California, as part of the broader Hillsides nonprofit organization (501(c)(3), founded 1913). HEC served K-12 students with social-emotional, learning, and/or behavioral challenges, providing small classes, individualized attention, and integrated academic and clinical services including individual/group/family counseling, music, art, and speech therapy. Its academic program was built on Common Core standards and the proprietary GROWTH Model, which targets four skill domains — Personal Awareness, Social Awareness, Problem Solving, and Tenacity — to support transition readiness. Vocational training in cosmetology, food service, woodshop, and auto shop supplemented the core curriculum. HEC contracted with more than 20 Southern California school districts (including Pasadena Unified, LAUSD, Baldwin Park, Glendale/Burbank) for referrals funded via per-pupil arrangements.

Revenue was generated through a mix of school district contracts, foundation and corporate grants (notably Starbucks Foundation and Everychild Foundation), donations and charitable contributions, and partial funding from the Los Angeles County Department of Mental Health and Department of Children and Family Services. Sibling programs within the parent organization — Family Resource Centers (nine LA County locations), Youth Moving On transitional housing for former foster youth, Residential Treatment Services, the Bienvenidos foster care/adoption program, and the HillsidesCares mental health continuum launched December 2021 — collectively served approximately 14,000 children and families annually. HEC itself operated for 40 years before announcing closure on March 8, 2022 effective May 31, 2022, driven by pandemic-related declines in district referrals and funding cuts; 41 students were enrolled at closure and ~20 faculty/staff were reassigned within the organization.

Name

Hillsides Education Center

Legal name

Hillsides Organization

Website

https://hillsideseducationcenter.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1913

Operating status

Closed

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Hillsides Education Center was a non-public therapeutic residential and day school in Pasadena, California, serving K-12 students with social-emotional, learning, and behavioral challenges under the broader Hillsides nonprofit; it closed May 31, 2022 after 40 years due to pandemic-driven enrollment decline, while the parent organization continues to operate mental health, foster care, and family services across Los Angeles County.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Pasadena

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices11 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. School District Contracts: Contracts with more than 20 school districts in Southern California for residential services, day school, and in-district mental health support. Revenue generated through per-pupil funding arrangements with school districts.
2. Donations and Charitable Contributions: Receives donations from individuals, families, and companies through various donation programs including Adopt-a-Family, holiday giving, and general donations.
3. Foundation Grants: Receives grants from foundations such as the Everychild Foundation and Starbucks Foundation ($30,000 grant for Youth Moving On workforce development program).
4. Government Funding: Partially funded by Los Angeles County Department of Mental Health and Department of Children and Family Services for Family Resource Centers and other programs.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Hillsides Education Center (HEC) was a therapeutic residential and day school serving K-12 students with social-emotional, learning, and behavioral challenges through small classes, Common Core-aligned curriculum, and the proprietary GROWTH Model for social-emotional development. The school also delivered in-district mental health support, vocational training, and counseling services to more than 20 Southern California school districts. HEC ceased operations on May 31, 2022, with its programs continuing under the parent nonprofit Hillsides Organization.

Product overview

Hillsides Education Center (HEC) is a non-public therapeutic residential and day school operating as part of the larger Hillsides organization. The core offering is HEC, which provides individualized K-12 education for students with social-emotional, learning, and behavior challenges through small classes and personalized attention. HEC's academic program is built on Common Core standards combined with the proprietary GROWTH Model for social-emotional development. Supporting programs include Vocational Training (Cosmetology, Food Service, Woodshop, Auto Shop), Extracurricular Activities, Education Support Services, and Mental Health Services. The parent organization Hillsides also operates Family Resource Centers, Residential Treatment Services, Youth Moving On (for former foster youth), and the newly launched HillsidesCares mental health treatment program. Volunteer support is provided through the Hillsides Guild, Volunteer Network, and H100 donor group.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• HillsidesCares: Mental health treatment services for commercially-insured children and families, including residential treatment, partial hospitalization program (PHP), and intensive outpatient program (IOP)
• Youth Moving On
• Family Resource Centers
• Bienvenidos

Products and services

• Hillsides Education Center (HEC)
• HillsidesCares
• Family Resource Centers
• Youth Moving On
• Residential Treatment Services

Quantifiable outcome

• Successful transition of students back to public school or to adulthood
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered flagship and core.

• StarbucksflagshipGTM or Marketing Partner · 5 December 2019Starbucks has organized annual Holiday Toy Drives for Hillsides for 10 consecutive years, with decorative toy collection boxes in 51 San Gabriel Valley stores. The Starbucks Foundation also awarded Hillsides a $30,000 grant each of the last three years for its Youth Moving On workforce development program for transition-aged youth 16-25.
• National Council for Behavioral HealthcarecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHillsides, under leadership of Stacey Roth, created a Trauma-Informed Care approach and manual for nonprofits in partnership with the National Council for Behavioral Healthcare, putting the organization in the national spotlight.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Market position

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/Hillsides
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/infohillsidesorg
• Facebookfacebook.com/hillsideschildren
• Instagraminstagram.com/hillsidespasadena
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/school/hillsides-education-center

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Subsidiaries5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Hillsides Education Center