The Ravenswood City School District in East Palo Alto, California, has announced a $30 million gift from the SHP Foundation to develop a multipurpose community hub at Cesar Chavez Ravenswood Middle School that will support an array of afterschool programs and activities.

The grant from the foundation—the philanthropic arm of the Sand Hill Property Company, founded by Peter and Susanna Pau—is the largest in the school district’s history. It will enable the district to finalize the design and develop the space to include a basketball gym, community meeting space, health clinic spaces, and other uses directly benefiting the community. The project, which is expected to be completed by the end of 2023, follows a $50 million district-funded renovation of the school—now nearing completion—that included construction of a new athletic field and tennis courts, a cluster of classrooms, and a playpark.

“Last year we identified an opportunity to create a multi-use space that benefits not just the students at the school but the broader community,” said Ravenswood City School District Board of Education chair Mele K. Latu. “SHP Foundation stepped up to make this happen with the single largest donation in Ravenswood’s history.”

(Photo credit: Getty Images/Johny Greig)