Identifying and Supporting Next Generation Leaders
To counter chronic college ‘under-matching,’ of our highest performing students, last year REACH piloted a mentoring program, on a $5,000 budget, to match 75 top REACH seniors with 1:1 mentors and guidance to aim for and apply to top colleges.
Due to program success, the 2010 program is doubling in size and, for each student, will include 1:1 mentor guidance and support of a 10-person mentor team, pro bono Kaplan SAT prep, college essay workshops, REACH College Guidance office hours (hosted by CUP Fellows) and college night information panels.
REACH Forward graduates last year include freshmen at Babson, Barnard, Carnegie Mellon, Columbia, Dartmouth, Georgetown, Haverford, Howard, Macauley Honors College, MIT, Mount Holyoke, Smith, Spelman, U Penn and UVA.
Evolution of REACH Forward
- Kaplan partnered with REACH for complementary sessions for all students who earned 4’s & 5’s on junior year AP’s (185 students). 40 students, from 22 schools, signed up and are actively in the REACH-Kaplan program. NOTE: Kaplan was so impressed that they are now looking at providing ALL LearnEarnWin Study Guides at substantial discount ($20,000 savings for REACH) and will let us know at the end of the week! Gregg Fleisher already approved the switch.
- Educators4Excellence teamed up, and with Kaplan-donated review materials and space, is providing teachers to run 3 additional half-day Saturday customized small-group tutoring for all 40 SAT students, leading up to the Oct 9th SAT.
- 2011 Objective: 80% enrollment. If these sessions substantially improve scores, next fall, with our current ambassadors from 22 schools, REACH targets enrolling 80%+ of qualifying rising seniors (approx 150-200 students) in Kaplan/Educators4Excellence prep (they’ve each already confirmed interest in continuing to grow the partnership).
