Statistics point to a widening gap in educational attainment for marginalized youth in our community. Education is essential to success, enabling people to reach their full potential and make meaningful contributions to society. Education can also be a powerful tool for reducing inequality and creating social mobility. For marginalized youth, post-secondary education opportunities are often scarce or non-existent due to systemic barriers such as racism, poverty, and inadequate access to resources. Education can be a pathway out of these situations, providing the skills necessary to thrive in an ever-evolving world.
Opening the Door To Make Way for Academic Success
The good news is that organizations and individuals are taking initiatives to increase post-secondary education opportunities for marginalized youth. Scholarships, grants, and mentorship programs provide access to resources and support that would otherwise be unavailable. With the proper guidance, marginalized youth can make a name for themselves in fields such as technology, business, and the arts. Education can open doors of opportunity that were previously closed off due to systemic barriers. College Success Foundation makes that happen for many kids across Washington and beyond.
College Success Foundation: Giving Kids the Keys to a Brighter Future
With a $23,000 education pillar grant from Believe in Me, the College Success Foundation (CSF) can help fund its College Coaching Program. This funding helps youth from low socioeconomic backgrounds remove barriers to entering and completing college. This Program provides life skills coaching, career exploration, and financial aid support through 1:1 and group meetings, workshops, webinars, online resources, and ongoing communications. CSF uses a strengths-based, personalized approach that gets to the heart of the issues faced by individual students in 7 main areas: education, cultural identity, employment, housing, life skills, physical and mental health, and community connections.
College Success Foundation Reaches Marginalized Kids Across the Nation
In 2000, Bob Craves and Ann Ramsay-Jenkins initiated a revolutionary change to uplift the underprivileged. As a result, College Success Foundation (CSF) was formed with initial funding from The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, striving to reduce inequality within society by offering college scholarship opportunities and mentorship programs for low-income students. Over two decades, CSF has broadened its services across Washington State and the nation’s capital – providing assistance despite financial crises or global pandemic upheavals in order to promote success among our future generations!
This consistent endeavor is proving beneficial on both local and national levels: *10% decrease in direct enrollment due to Covid related disruptions was reported nationally – however that number had been offset significantly at colleges associated directly with CSF Programs. The impact of such initiatives is far-reaching, allowing us all tremendous confidence about building brighter futures together!
* National Student Clearinghouse Research Center “High School Benchmarks, December 1, 2021,” page 7.
Together We Embark on the Journey to Academic Success as a Community
Believe in Me is proud to partner with College Success Foundation to help marginalized youth on their journey to academic success. We must continue to advocate for improved post-secondary education opportunities for this population. Education is a powerful tool that can reduce inequality and create social mobility, enabling people to reach their full potential. Education can lift individuals and communities out of poverty, providing access to a brighter future. We are investing in our collective future by investing in post-secondary education opportunities for marginalized youth.
