Strive for College
 | |
| Founded | 2007 |
|---|---|
| Type | 501(c)(3) charitable organization |
| Focus | Expanding college access in under-served communities |
| Location | |
Area served | United States |
Key people | Michael Carter, Founder and CEO |
Volunteers | 1200 (approx.)[1] |
| Website | www.striveforcollege.org |
Strive for College is an American nonprofit dedicated to alleviating inequity in access to higher education. A unique solution to the information gap surrounding college and financial aid application, Strive leverages the energy, influence and knowledge of volunteer mentors to guide qualified students through the college application process. It is headquartered in Milpitas and has served thousands of students with mentors from more than 100 colleges and universities nationwide.[2]
History
Michael Carter started Strive for College in 2007 while a student at Washington University in St. Louis, mentoring students at nearby Eskridge High School.[3] Strive for College expanded following a seed grant in 2009[4] and grew to become a nationwide organization. It piloted the nation’s first virtual college guidance curriculum in 2013 with the JA & Kathryn Albertson Foundation and launched a national scaling effort with partners including Bloomberg Philanthropies and College Board the following year.
Strive for College's growth was sustained with the help of influential sponsors: philanthropist Connie Lurie, former SJSU President Don Kassing, and education innovator Tom Vander Ark.[4] Strive for College works in partnership with the Michael & Susan Dell Foundation, JA & Kathryn Albertson Foundation, Bloomberg Philanthropies, College Board, National College Advising Corps, Deutsche Bank, Fossil Foundation, Annie E. Casey Foundation and Think Finance.
Program
Strive for College’s undergraduate mentors work with qualified students weekly for up to three semesters preceding high school graduation. The mentoring program is based on a series of sessions outlined in the organization’s curriculum, which focuses on college admission and financial aid. The curriculum also includes teambuilding activities and mentorship best practices. In 2014, Strive for College launched Virtual Mentoring; a game-changer for reducing barriers to college access. It erases distance barriers, facilitates the right connections and levels the information advantage playing field to optimize a student’s ability to select and apply to the colleges that are a best-fit for them, academically and financially.
The heart of Strive’s virtual mentoring strategy is a collaboration with groundbreaking technology partner UStrive, which will deliver a sophisticated college and financial aid application knowledgebase, a mentor/mentee communications platform and sophisticated task management tools to mentoring teams.
UStrive makes one-to-one guidance possible from anywhere, allowing interaction, scheduling and communication—including video conferencing, document sharing, and text and instant messaging. The technology makes it possible to reach thousands of students in rural areas and urban centers across all 50 states, at once.
Performance
According to Strive for College’s profile for CNN Heroes, “40% of Strive students attend four-year colleges without having to come out of pocket for their tuition -- compared with 32% of low-income college students nationwide.” [5]
See also
- Education in the United States
- Higher education in the United States
- College tuition in the United States
- College admissions in the United States
References
- ↑ "Strive for College: How it Works".
- ↑ "HOW IT WORKS". Strive for College. 2014. Retrieved February 27, 2013.
- ↑ "Pairing up to take the pain out of college search". CNN Heroes. February 21, 2013. Retrieved February 27, 2013.
- 1 2 "Strive for College: Correcting the Inequalities of College Access Nationwide". Forbes. August 24, 2011. Retrieved March 4, 2013.
- ↑ "Pairing up to take the pain out of college search". CNN Heroes. February 21, 2013. Retrieved March 7, 2013.