From left, Minarets Principal Mark Fowler and FPU President André Stephens, Ph.D., at a Jan. 26 signing ceremony in O'Neals. Photo contributed by FPU

Fresno Pacific University has signed another agreement meant to help funnel high school students into the private university.

The partnership with Chawanakee Unified School District in Madera County’s mountain community is designed to provide a smooth pathway for students from Minarets High School, Minarets Charter High School and Chawanakee Academy.

“We are very excited about this opportunity for our students, our community and our school district,” said Minarets Principal Mark Fowler at the signing ceremony Jan. 26 at the high school.

 The partnership, in the form of a memo of understanding (MOU), guarantees admission at FPU and a minimum financial aid package to qualified Minarets students. The university is also planning events at Minarets, Minarets Charter and Chawanakee Academy Charter such as financial aid workshops to students and their families and on-the-spot admissions days where students can complete the steps needed to attend FPU.

 A similar agreement was struck in October 2022 with Chaffey Joint Union High School District in the Southern California city of Ontario.

As part of the agreement, a teacher pipeline program will support Chawanakee students interested in becoming teachers and educators by bringing students to the FPU campus for programs leading to credentials and degrees in education. These students will have the options to obtain liberal studies credentials for elementary school teachers and single-subject credentials for middle- and high-school teachers, according to a news release. Students can further their education in various comprehensive master’s degrees and specialized credentials such as administration, counseling/school psychology and special education.

“Once they graduate from FPU, some of those students could come right back to Minarets or other schools in the Chawanakee Unified School District,” said Jon Endicott, vice president for enrollment management and student services at FPU. “The State of California is projecting a shortage of teachers, and Minarets itself is growing.”

 Located in O’Neals,, Minarets High School, Minarets Charter High School and the district’s charter program has more than 457 enrolled students from grades 9-12. At Minarets, students engage in a challenging academic experience driven by professional-level technology, project-based instruction and college and career readiness, according to the release.  

These partnerships are part of the future of FPU, according to the university president.

 “Such actions speak directly to our desire to provide as many qualified students as possible with the professional, personal and spiritual benefits of a Fresno Pacific education,” said FPU President André Stephens, Ph.D.