America’s Promise Alliance and the Simon Foundation announce partnership to increase high school and college graduation rates
6/28/2010
WASHINGTON, D.C. –
America’s Promise Alliance (the “Alliance”) and the Simon Foundation for Education and Housing (the “Simon Foundation”) today announced a new multi-year partnership to help increase high school and college graduation rates. The two organizations will work together to expand on a national basis the Simon Foundation’s successful Simon Scholars Program, a unique $30,000, 6-year high school and college scholarship program for students that come from difficult life and economic circumstances. The Alliance will work with the Simon Scholars program to broaden its reach into new cities, including a pilot Simon Scholar Candidate Program in Washington, D.C. at Cesar Chavez Parkside High School.
The partnership—the first of its kind in the Alliance’s 13-year history—was announced at an event earlier today at the J.W. Marriott in downtown Washington, D.C. with Alliance Chair Alma Powell and Founding Chair Gen. Colin Powell, as well as the Simon Foundation’s Chair Ron Simon.
Program will Provide High School Students with Unprecedented College Readiness Opportunities
“The Simon Scholars Program is unique in that it not only provides academic scholarships but the often forgotten but equally important life skills training and social supports that youth need in order to graduate and be successful, contributing members of society,” said Alma J. Powell, Chair of America’s Promise Alliance. “By working together, we have a real opportunity to help more young people be a part of this program and as a result reduce the high school dropout rate in this country.”
This partnership will be a featured part of the Alliance’s Grad Nation campaign. Launched in March with the support of President Obama and U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan, Grad Nation is the Alliance’s 10-year campaign to mobilize all Americans to take action in their communities to end the high school dropout crisis and ultimately prepare young people for the 21st century workforce. Grad Nation is the second phase of the Alliance’s successful Dropout Prevention Campaign, which has held more than 100 Dropout Prevention Summits across the country since April 2008.
“Helping ensure that all young people, regardless of personal or economic circumstances, have the opportunity to succeed in school and life is the most important thing we can do to ensure the future prosperity of this nation,” said Simon. “The partnership between the Alliance and the Simon Foundation will enhance our ability to reach deeper into disadvantaged communities across the country to provide more students with an opportunity to achieve the American Dream.”
The Simon Scholars Program
The Simon Scholars program is a multi-year scholarship program helping students facing difficult life and economic circumstances to excel academically and socially so they can successfully attend and complete college. Simon Scholars are required to maintain a minimum 3.0 GPA by the end of their junior year of high school. During high school students receive a cash stipend, laptop computer, social skills training, academic support, leadership training and community service activities. Scholars are also provided college-preparatory assistance through ACT and SAT courses, college tours and assistance in the application process from college coaches. Following the completion of high school, Simon Scholars receive a $16,000 college scholarship. Since 2003, more than 425 scholarships valued at $14 million have been awarded by the Simon Foundation. Of the students who have entered the Simon Scholars program, 85% are still in the program today or have graduated. Currently there are Simon Scholar chapters operating in 31 high schools in Georgia, New Mexico and California.
The Simon Scholars Candidate pilot program at Cesar Chavez Parkside High School will take a proactive approach by engaging students earlier in high school (9th and 10th grades) to help prepare them academically to become eligible to apply to become a Simon Scholar during the second semester of their sophomore year. Candidates will participate in Saturday academies focused on building academic, writing and speaking skills while exposing them to a wider range of educational, cultural and career opportunities within the nation’s capital. Following successful completion of their two years in the pilot program, these students may then apply to become Simon Scholars.
Another important component of this work is the newly announced Simon Scholars Collegiate Partners Program, where leading colleges and universities are being recruited to offer special admissions consideration and financial support to students who complete high school as Simon Scholars. Initial collegiate partners include the University of California at Irvine and Chapman University with several other universities in process.
America’s Promise Alliance and Simon Foundation Address College Retention Rates for Disadvantaged Students
More than one in three students today fails to graduate from high school on time. Among minority students, the problem is even greater, with a little more than half completing high school on time. College completion rates are even lower. According to the Education Trust, only 60 percent of all students finish college, and the numbers dip to around 40 percent for minority students. Studies show that what happens outside the classroom, in communities and at home has just as great an impact as what happens in school on whether a student can succeed academically. The answer is to complement academic support with the social and emotional support students need to thrive in their school years and to be prepared for the academic rigors and social integration needed to succeed in college, career and life. This is the foundation of the Simon Scholars program.
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About America’s Promise Alliance
America’s Promise Alliance is the nation’s largest partnership organization dedicated to improving the lives of children and youth. Through the collective power of our partner network, we raise awareness, support communities and engage in nonpartisan advocacy to ensure that young people receive more of the fundamental resources they need to graduate high school prepared for college, work and life. Building on the legacy of our Founding Chairman, General Colin Powell, the Alliance believes the success of our young people is grounded in the Five Promises—caring adults; safe places; a healthy start; an effective education; and opportunities to help others. For more information about America’s Promise Alliance, visit www.americaspromise.org.
About the Simon Foundation for Education and Housing
The Simon Foundation for Education and Housing is a 501(c) 3 non-profit organization which offers a unique high school and college scholarship program that empowers students to achieve the American dream of independence and self-sufficiency. Since its inception in 2003, the Simon Scholars Program has awarded over $14 million in scholarships. The Simon Scholars Program was created to provide disadvantaged youth with the life skills and the academic tools necessary to succeed in college and in life. The program is founded upon five principles—respect is earned, not given; self esteem comes from personal achievement; education creates opportunities, not guarantees; success is measured from within, not on a balance sheet; and opportunity denied is tragic, opportunity wasted is inexcusable. For more information about the Simon Scholars Program, visit www.simonscholars.org.
The Housing Initiative of the Simon Foundation addresses the critical issue of building truly affordable workforce housing, serving as an advocate on affordable housing issues and solutions that impact the thinking, understanding and ultimately the actions of city, state and federal entities, including the civic, business and education communities. To accomplish this, SFEH is a driver in developing precision manufacturing methodologies that will reduce home building costs, in educating builders on how to employ such methodologies to become participants in a national affordable housing initiative, and in conducting research and development in areas such as “green building” initiatives. For more information on the Simon Foundation for Education and Housing, visit www.sfeh.org.