The Janet Aiko Sekiguchi Foundation

Honoring Janet's legacy by investing in communities and causes consistent with her passions and her struggles.

The Janet Aiko Sekiguchi Foundation offers a grant that may be used to support one school-wide program, a few smaller projects initiated by school staff or students, or a combination of both. Grant funds may also be used to enhance an existing program. We envision our grant serving as seed funding for either a new program or an expansion of a current program, with the aim of enabling the program to attract additional sources of funding.

In early 2022, as part of the grant application process, we were introduced to several passionate and dedicated educators and administrators who are engaged in innovative work within marginalized communities. Although choosing just one to support was a difficult decision, we selected Entrepreneur High School (eHigh) to receive the first of our 3-year grants.

We plan to open the grant application process again in early 2025 for the next grant cycle. If you are interested in potentially applying, we encourage you to check back in early 2025 or submit your name and email address to be notified when the next application cycle opens by emailing us: list at janetsekiguchi.org.

Entrepreneur High School (eHigh) was established in 2018 as an applied entrepreneurship charter school designed to be both inquiry-based and student-centered. The school serves a culturally and academically diverse population of students, representative of California's Inland Empire communities of Highland and San Bernardino. The curriculum engages students in meaningful and relevant learning experiences that foster innovation, creativity, and an entrepreneurial spirit. eHigh is focused on merging academics with real-world skills in order to ensure students have the skillset to thrive in their post-secondary journey. While the level of academics is college-prep, students also choose one of four pathways that prepare them for future careers: Design, Visual and Media Arts, Professional Sales and Entrepreneurship, Food Service and Hospitality, or Software and Systems Development. The school also provides students with opportunities for hands-on business experience such as running a student store where they sell clothing they create and catering school events.

Inspiring a Young Entrepreneur Program.With the grant from the foundation, eHigh created a program called "Inspiring a Young Entrepreneur." The goal of the program is to inspire students to apply the skills they learn in their coursework to develop their own businesses. In November 2022, students attended DesignerCon, a large art and design convention in Anaheim, California that encompasses all forms of art and design including print media, one-of-a-kind art pieces, vinyl figures and apparel. The intent of attending DesignerCon was to give students exposure to the world of design and provide inspiration to create their own designs that are then produced in eHigh's own student-run print shop. Under this program, students establish and develop their businesses, culminating at the eHigh Expo in May 2023, where students set up a booth and sell their services and the products they have created. Funds from the JASF grant cover the cost of attending the conference, the resources the students need to launch their businesses, and the expenses associated with putting on the eHigh Expo.