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Framingham State UniversityNonprofit Giving CourseCollege Bound Dorchester ProposalORGANIZATIONOverview & MissionCollege Bound provides a place-based college pathway to create community change, equipping thefurthest off-track and disengaged students with the attitude, skills and experience to graduate college.Serving over 1,000 students annually, we provide a continuum of education support to build a collegegoing culture, from Early Education and Out-of-School Time programs to Boston’s only AlternativeMiddle School and our flagship College Connections intervention model.UUWe are committed to ending the cycles of poverty, violence and lack of opportunity in low-incomecommunities by providing the innovative College Connections intervention to over 600 of the mostdisengaged and high-risk youth – many are Core Influencers (i.e. gang-involved, recently incarcerated).We aim to support enough high-risk youth to and through college to break the low achievementmentality and “tip” low-income communities towards success and economic self-sufficiency – breakinggenerational cycles of poverty and violence to build prosperity and peace. The new college-going culturewill lead to more youth with the skills to compete in the 21 st century workforce and transform theircommunities.PUPWho We Serve: 600 high- and proven-risk youth (ages 16 – 27) who are highly disengaged and off-track 100% low-income; 96% people of color (50%Black, 35% Latino, 6% Asian; 5% Multi-Racial); 85%Opportunity Youth (ages 16 – 24, out of school and work); 48% female and 52% male; 18% areEnglish Language Learners 90% are from Boston’s most disadvantaged communities of Dorchester, Roxbury and Mattapan 23% are youth we call Core Influencers, who are gang/court-involved or have been incarceratedCommunity Need - Making College the SolutionThere are 5.6M Opportunity Youth (OY) in the U.S., who are not in school and unemployed. Of the 9,000OY in Boston, many are Core Influencers (gang-involved, disruptive) who have an outsized impact ontheir low-income neighborhoods – they are often victims and perpetrators of the street violence anddrive youth disengagement. These OY are more likely to live/raise families in poverty, have poorerhealth and experience higher rates of incarceration or criminal justice involvement than their connectedpeers (Civic Enterprises). College Connections is a response to the great societal cost of not engagingwith these struggling young people and recognition of the great value and promise they represent ifgiven the opportunity to transform their lives and communities.UIn the 21st century, that opportunity is best provided through a college education – leading to careersand not just low-wage jobs. By 2018, two-thirds of jobs will require at least some college. Studies showthat people with an Associate’s degree earn 40% more than those with just a high school diploma, are67% less likely to be unemployed/underemployed and are 97% less likely to be incarcerated.Additionally, the percentage of jobs available for high school graduates without a post-secondarycertificate or degree is rapidly shrinking. Between January 2010 and February 2012, people with highschool diplomas or less lost 230,000 jobs, while people with Associate’s degrees or some collegeeducation gained 1.6M jobs (Georgetown University's Center on Education and the Workforce , 2012).Without the skills to be competitive in the job market, the pull of the “streets” will all but guarantee OYreturn to disruptive and disengaged behavior.UU0T0T
Of Boston’s 9,000 OY, 28% have dropped out of high school and only 9% have a college degree (BostonPrivate Industry Council). Over a lifetime, the earnings difference between a high school dropout and acollege graduate is more than 1M in unpaid or lower taxes, use of public funds, court-involvement,incarceration, etc. (Aspen Institute). College Connections meets these students where they are to getthem back on track and bridge the gap to college. A 2014 Bain study of College Connections found thatonly 10 Massachusetts nonprofits serve proven-risk youth. Of those 10, College Bound is the only oneproviding them with a comprehensive college pathway.Long-Term GoalsOur ultimate goal is to transform low-income urban neighborhoods in Boston and throughout theU.S. through education. In fall 2016, we will begin a three-year strategic growth plan aimed at enhancingand scaling the College Connections model to enhance and scale College Connections to serve over 900students, ensuring 250 Core Influencers matriculate to college annually by 2019. We aim to increase ourcollege retention rate for proven-risk youth to at least 60% per year and ensure at least 50% graduateon-time (three-years for Associates or six-years for Bachelors). The plan includes four strategies forexpansion and impact: 1. Improve data collection and analysis for external evaluation; 2. Improveinternal systems (e.g. staff training, Core Influencer recruitment, enhance clinical & holistic supportservices, etc.); 3. Increase organizational capacity to create toolkits for replication; and 4. Strengthenpartnerships with local organizations, corporations and higher education institutions to build stronger,sustainable pathways to success. In 2019, we will begin expanding our replicable into 1-2 newcommunities in Massachusetts in preparation for national expansion in 2024.USources of FundingTo ensure our sustainability, we practice careful fiscal and organizational planning, focusing on twokey areas to build the organization’s fiscal health. The organization has diversified revenue streams:government grants (56%), foundation grants (27%), Individual and Events (10%), Earned Income (4%)and United Way (3%). Our Early Ed, Out-of-School Time and Alternative Middle School receive consistentmulti-year funding through state and city grants and contracts (i.e. Boston Public Schools, Departmentof Early & Secondary Education, Department of Children & Families Services, etc.).The College Connections intervention relies on foundation and government grants, with governmentgrants from the Boston Public Health Commission’s PACT, Boston Police Department’s Shannon CSI,Office of Workforce Development’s WIOA and AEI. We actively seek foundation grant supporters toensure we can successfully implement College Connections. Foundation supporters include the: LynchFoundation, the Boston Foundation, Cummings Foundation, Schrafft Charitable Trust, Boston StateCommunity Trust, Highland Street Foundation, etc.UOrganizational StructureCollege Bound was established in 2009 from Federated Dorchester Neighborhood Houses, a multiservice agency that served Dorchester residents since 1965; our history is rooted in strong communityconnection and support, with many community members who either attended our programs in theiryouth or are familiar with our work in the community – 58% of our staff are from, or living in,Dorchester/Roxbury; 60% are Black, 15% are Latino and 5% are Asian; 56% are women & 44% are men.Mark Culliton, CEO, has extensive experience leading organizations through growth and change. Hepreviously served as Vice President for Business Development at Lighthouse Academies and as the ChiefOperating Officer of BELL; Mark has a Bachelor’s degree in History from the University of Michigan andan MBA from Yale University. Mark is supported by a four-person leadership team, who are all fromand/or living in Dorchester. Brenda Rodriguez, Chief Financial Officer, and Michelle Caldeira, Senior VicePresident, oversee the financial, development and administrative operations of the organization. PegU
Ecclesine, Chief Program Officer, works to evaluate and improve program quality and assessment. MattGallup, Chief Talent Officer, builds our organizational capacity, and oversees professional developmentand support for: 87 staff and 30 volunteers. All leadership staff, including our Director of CollegeConnections, Kedan Harris, has extensive experience working in New England’s education, non-profitand for-profit sectors (i.e. Pine Street, Lighthouse Academies, Network Schools in Chicago, New York,D.C., Gloucester Community Arts, Charter School, etc., PwC, New York Times Company).Our College Readiness Advisors (CRAs) are the heart of our College Connections model as theyprovide consistent mentoring and case-management support to students as well as guided socialemotional instruction. We hire and train community-based CRAs with similar backgrounds as ourproven-risk students to help build stronger, more trusting relationships.PROJECT DESCRIPTION :College Connections Intervention ModelWe designed College Connections to provide year-round (Sept – Oct, including summer) academic andsocial-emotional instruction and mentoring support to steward the furthest off-track students to andthrough college – building the skills and support networks to engage in academically and professionallyrigorous environments, while staying motivated through the challenges involved in breaking cycles offailure.UUUWe provide three core education pathways:1) The Foundations pathway supports students to obtain a high school credential (HiSet, formerly GED)in preparation for college and/or English language proficiency if language is the barrier to college. InFebruary 2015, we acquired the Maritime Apprenticeship Program (MAP) from Hull Lifesaving Museum.MAP was a perfect addition to our model as 100% of MAP students are Core Influencers. MAP’s careerexploration model has been successfully blended with the Foundations pathway to build students’maritime industry skills, along with obtaining a high school credential, in preparation for a postsecondary certification in the technical trades. Our blended model has led to MAP’s strongest outcomessince it began a decade ago, with four students obtaining their HiSet and matriculating to the BenjaminFranklin Institute of Technology in January 2015.UU2) The Bridge to College pathway provides students with Accuplacer college diagnostic placementtesting, competency-based English & Math remedial coursework instruction, one-on-one collegeadvising, and coaching through the college application and financial aid processes.UUIn Spring 2016, we began a new dual enrollment initiative in partnership with Bunker Hill CommunityCollege (BHCC), where students can take free remedial Math and English courses taught by BHCCprofessors at our 18 Samoset location while taking credit-bearing BHCC classes on-campus. Thisinitiative enables more students to test out of remedial coursework before they matriculate, utilize theirfinancial aid can go towards credit-bearing classes and ensure they can earn their degree faster. Morethan 50% of students entering two-year colleges (20% for four-year) are placed in remedial classes,with 60% of BPS graduates requiring remedial coursework once enrolled in college (The BostonFoundation, 2013). Nearly 4 in 10 of remedial students at community colleges never complete theirremedial courses and stay enrolled in college (Complete College America, 2012). If students receive thesupport to test out of remedial courses before they matriculate, they are more likely to stay engagedand motivated in complete college.3) The College Support pathway provides students with on-going one-on-one mentoring and progressmonitoring of grades/credit accumulation once they have successfully matriculated to college. CRAs alsowork to build a strong network and presence on-campus to ensure students feel supported, are properlyutilizing on-campus resources and there is peer-mentoring/sharing.UU
In addition to the academic component of College Connections, the unique value of our model includes:Deep Mentoring Connections: Our students’ engagement and progress are a result of the deep,consistent mentoring relationships they build with CRAs – relationships which provide stability and buildtheir confidence. We hire and train community-based CRAs who have life experiences that mirror ourproven-risk students’. It is this fundamental understanding of our students that drives CRAs’commitment and provides a level of credibility and trust with students’ who are often hard to reach.UUSocial-Emotional Instruction : For our students, academic competency and progress are closely tied withtheir attitude and motivation. Coming from poverty and crime stricken neighborhoods, they often learnways of engaging and survival that do not necessarily yield success in academic and professionalenvironments. In response to this need, CRAs implement our Launch social-emotional curriculum, with52 specifically identified competencies and benchmarks structured around: zest, gratitude, grit,curiosity, social-intelligence, optimism, relational maturity, self-control, citizenship and college ambition.Students receive weekly Launch classes as well as one-on-one check-ins.UUHolistic Support : Our staff works closely with local mental health providers and clinicians to addressstudents’ issues stemming from anger management, substance abuse and Post Traumatic StressDisorder. We provide job-readiness training and transitional employment opportunities. We alsoprovide Dual Enrollment in our Early Education and Out-of-School Time programs for students who areparenting.UUCollege Bound respectfully requests a partnership with the Framingham State University NonprofitGiving Course to support our College Connections intervention. Specifically, a 10,000 grant willsupport the growth and enhancement of our unique Bridge to College and College Support pathways,ensuring over 300 high- and proven-risk students receive the academic, social-emotional and technicalskills training they need to thrive in college and achieve economic self-sufficiency in the 21 st centuryworkforce. With the Foundation’s support, during the 2016 program year we will ensure:- 300 high- and proven-risk students are served;- 40 students in transitional/summer employment;- 65 students matriculate to college;- 80% students increase their academic and social-emotional skill levels.PPYour grant will support:1) Bridge to College and College Support CRAs’ working with students who are dually enrolled in ourBridge to College pathway as well as at BHCC ( 8,000 for .11 FTE of two CRAs);2) Additional training to increase CRA’s use of data to target their instruction with each student( 1,500 for training through intensive CRA Training Institute);3) Program supplies ( 500 Accuplacer testing and diagnostic online instruction, notebooks forclassroom instruction and homework, etc.).Evaluation & ImpactUpon joining College Connections, students take intake surveys to identify potential barriers and informstaff about their life choices and motivations. Program staff and students then create individualizedplans to set and track academic and career goals. Students who join our Foundations pathway take theTABE assessment to determine Grade Level Equivalency in English and Math, with students’ progress isthen assessed quarterly until they obtain their HiSet credential. Students in the Bridge to Collegepathway are assessed using the Accuplacer diagnostic and placement test. The accompanyingMyFoundationsLab online tool helps guide remedial coursework instruction based on the assessment(with targeted instruction for each student’s specific gaps in English and Math).U
Once in college, we have data-sharing agreements with our post-secondary partners that we use totrack students’ Grade Point Average, attendance and credit accumulation. Students’ social-emotionalskills are assessed by CRAs using our own Launch social-emotional rubric for emotional competencies &benchmarks and observations from one-on-one check-ins. These assessments also help to gauge eachstudent’s mental and physical health, housing, child and family care needs – CRAs meet 1:1 withstudents to discuss progress, goals and next steps. Student data is tracked in our Efforts-to-Outcomesonline performance management system.UProven Success Grown from 28 students matriculating to college in 2012 to 52 in 2015 (86% increase) Our college matriculation rate is 63% higher than the 17% national average for GED recipients 109 students currently pursuing two- or four-year degrees (57% persistence rate) Since 2012, 22 students earned two- or four-year degree and are employed 71% reduction in recidivism and 80% increased social-emotional/behavioral skills Top-three Student Rated Program Impacts: Set & Reach Goals, Academic Preparation & Add Stabilityto LifeBelow are a couple of stories which show the impact of our model:Hector (name changed for story), 19, joined College Bound in spring 2015. He came to America a fewyears ago from El Salvador to get away from local gang members who were recruiting young men likehim. Unfortunately, there is an equally strong gang-presence in East Boston as well. After moving toBoston, he was recruited into an East Boston gang and got locked-up two years ago on a gun charge.Upon release from the Department of Youth Services, he was referred to College Bound. Hector iscommitted to getting as far away from gang-life and the “streets” as possible. Our College Connectionsintervention provided an educational pathway and network of support that enabled him to change hislife and strive towards his goal of becoming an Electrician. Since spring 2015, Hector has earned hisHiSet, received Bridge to College coaching and matriculated to the Benjamin Franklin Institute ofTechnology in January 2016. He is pursuing a two-year Associate's degree in Electrical Engineering.At the young age of 16, Rachael Swift’s world was turned upside down with family deaths and chronicillness. She ended up moving from Maryland to live with her family in Hyde Park, MA. The move placedher in an environment where she was surrounded by fighting, drugs and alcohol abuse – and she decidedto put her education on the backburner. This environment and domestic issues exacerbated her anxietyand depression but with therapy and medication Rachel slowly regained control. It was at this point thather social-worker recommended that she try to return to school and get her GED. They found CollegeBound and at the age of 20 she enrolled in our College Connections’ Foundations pathway.Rachel was completely terrified when she joined us, recalling that, “They [CRA] slid the test in front ofme, told me to take a deep breath and said, ‘it’s ok if you don’t know what you are doing – that’s whatwe are here for.” Our CRAs and Foundations Instructors worked with her to obtain her GED, helping tobuild her confidence, not only academically, but emotionally and socially as well. Rachel beganprogressing so quickly that she received her GED in three months and at which time we recommendedher for Northeastern University’s (NEU) Foundation Year program. With these successes under her belt,Rachel continues to persevere, completing her freshman year at NEU. She is majoring in English andholding a double-minor in anthropology and history.
AGM COMMON PROPOSAL FORMFY16 PROGRAM BUDGET SUMMARYOrganization NameFederal ID #Fiscal Year EndCollege Bound Dorchester04-23835129/30/2016FSURequestCollege ConnectionsBudget (600 students)OrganizationBudgetIncome SourcesGovernment Grants & ContractsFoundation and Corporate GrantsUnited WayIndividual ContributionsEarned IncomeOther Income (Event & Misc)Total Income 10,00010,000 679,700969,000205,920290,000403,8002,548,420 2,694 8,0008,0001,5005002,00010,000 ,958458,71545,0001,370,3142,548,420 00- 22,494ExpensesSalaries and WagesEmployee Benefits and TaxesTotal Personnel CostsBank/Investment FeesDepreciation ExpenseEquipment Rental & MaintenanceFood CostsFundraising ExpensesInsurance ExpenseMarketing/AdvertisingPostage and DeliveryProfessional DevelopmentProfessional FeesRent and OccupancySupplies and MaterialsStudent Activities & StipendsTelephone ExpenseTransportation ExpenseEmployee RecruitmentIndirect OverheadMiscellaneous ExpensesTotal Non Personnel CostsTotal Expenses Excess of Revenue Over Expens -
Framingham State University Nonprofit Giving Course College Bound Dorchester Proposal UORGANIZATION UOverview & Mission College Bound provides a place-based college pathway to create community change, the equipping furthest off-track and disengaged students with the attitude, sk
