Reach for Excellence, Inc.

Reach for Excellence empowers determined learners and expands their possibilities in the classroom, in the community, and in life. Our ultimate goal is to equip graduates with the tools they need to succeed in college-preparatory high school and beyond. Our staff continues to counsel our alumni through high school and into college. Our over 450 graduates have attended rigorous college-preparatory programs, both public and private, throughout Atlanta and beyond. They boast over 180 college acceptances and 19 graduate schools.

Reach for Excellence is a 100% tuition-free program that prepares academically talented middle school students from families with limited income to succeed in challenging college preparatory high schools. Any rising sixth-grade student of limited income (defined as $50,000 or less) in the metro-Atlanta area, who is academically talented and interested in making the three-year commitment, can apply to the program. When students join Reach for Excellence, they form a community of like-minded young people who strive to better their opportunities in the classroom and in life. These children strive together to triumph over adversity, develop as leaders, and pursue the path to college.

Students and families make a three-year commitment to attend weekend and summer classes. The program takes place during the student’s sixth, seventh, and eighth grade years. Students at Reach for Excellence connect with talented and creative teachers, educational experiences and mentors who help them raise their expectations of themselves and what they can achieve.

Our program empowers students of limited income by offering them a mix of academic, cultural, and community-based experiences. The Reach for Excellence curriculum increases students’ critical thinking and problem-solving skills in several core areas: Language Arts, Mathematics, Social Studies, and Study Skills. Reach recruits and hires master teachers, and makes an effort to hire individuals whose backgrounds and experience enable them to serve as both faculty and role models. A nutritious hot breakfast and lunch and transportation to and from the program are provided.

The program prepares students to take the SSAT, the secondary entrance exam for all private schools. Students will take the SSAT twice during their tenure at Reach for Excellence, with the first test used as a benchmark to identify weak areas that need addressing and measure improvement from one year to the next. Reach introduces students to high school options, both public and private, through field trips to campuses and admissions directors’ visits.

Reach for Excellence students learn from adults who are caring mentors and they are surrounded by friends who share their desire to succeed. Reach for Excellence employs master teachers from local public and independent schools who offer a rigorous academic and leadership curriculum. The average class size is 12 students allowing for more one on one instruction. The Reach for Excellence curriculum prepares students to excel by enhancing their critical thinking and problem solving as well as study skills, increasing their core competencies, and deepening their intellectual curiosity. Extra-curricular activities in team-building and participation in community service expose students to opportunities for leadership and the value of giving back to their community.

Reach for Excellence students:
• Enhance their critical thinking and problem-solving skills
• Increase their knowledge of core subjects
• Improve study habits
• Deepen their intellectual curiosity
• Grow in leadership

Upon the completion of the Reach for Excellence program, 100% of the graduates will matriculate to high school equipped with a set of skills that will lay the groundwork for future success.

Reach for Excellence is now in its 20th year of service. We are entirely supported by foundations, corporations, and individual donors. Through prudent management and generous contributions, Reach for Excellence has grown an endowment to offset rises in operational expenses and unforeseen circumstances. Reach is managed by a talented Board of Directors representing leaders in the Atlanta community.

Reach for Excellence actively engages in partnerships with the Society of Mary, Marist School, DeKalb Youth Alliance, and local public and private schools.

461 students have graduated from Reach for Excellence. These graduates have been accepted at over 99 private secondary schools and public charter and magnet programs. They have been accepted at over 180 colleges and universities and 19 graduate schools. Reach graduates include 2 Jack Kent Cook Scholars, 2 Gates Millennium Scholars, 3 Posse Scholars, and 9 Questbridge Scholars. Our alumni have now entered the work force. Alumni are now serving on our board, volunteering, and donating to Reach for Excellence.

In the next three years Reach for Excellence will launch the Reach Hispanic Initiative to improve college matriculation rates among Hispanic families. Reach for Excellence will continue to examine costs for areas of reduction, build up our strong record of college acceptances, and develop plans to seek sustainable funding.