YONKERS PARTNERS IN EDUCATION INC

College is an important step toward life success, yet only 11% of first generation, low-income students in the US earn a college degree. We aim to partner with students to ensure they are ready for, enroll in, and complete college.

Our goal is to continually develop, pilot (as needed), and deliver effective programs, technology, and services that drive college readiness, college access, and college persistence to ensure the greatest number of students graduate from a four year college.

The outcomes YPIE is achieving under these circumstances is especially noteworthy and can be scaled even further with additional investment from national foundations. Its programs could be replicated and its knowledge shared with other high-need school districts seeking to achieve more effective college pathways for their struggling students.

Our innovative programs are among the nation's most comprehensive for low income, underserved high-school students. Through a personal, multi-layered, and well-tuned service delivery approach the organization is ensuring that young people in this high-need city achieve grade-level academic performance and graduate from high school prepared for college and the workplace.

Our College Success Model includes:

1. College Readiness - To ensure students are on track academically and possess the executive function skills to get to and through college, each YPIE Scholar is assigned a College Readiness Manager and a volunteer mentor called a Graduation Coach. These 250 volunteers stay with their assigned students through all four years of high school. Bi-monthly meetings with College Readiness Managers and Graduation Coaches occur in the high schools during the school day and result in deep personal relationships between students and adults - a unique feature of YPIE Scholars.

To close the academic readiness gap and prepare students for the rigors of college, teachers provide an extra 180 hours per year per Scholar of academic instruction in core subjects (math, science and English) and SAT/ACT Prep at the afterschool YPIE College Zone. And to expose students to enrichment opportunities, YPIE Scholars are eligible to participate in short term activities like mindfulness, cooking, and art, or more intensive programs like a four year, competitive science research program; a 15-week coding and film program; and/or a five-week social entrepreneur program.

2. College Access - Beginning in 11th grade, YPIE Scholars receive support from a YPIE College Advisor to build a college list and complete applications with the ultimate goal of enrolling in a best fit (academically, geographically, financially) college. Because research shows that FAFSA completion not only helps students access financial aid, but also closely corresponds with college enrollment and completion, YPIE provides hands-on assistance with financial aid form completion for all families.

3. College Persistence - Upon graduating from high school, YPIE Scholars are assigned a dedicated College Completion Coach who meets with them monthly, in-person and/or via video chat when necessary, for the first two years of college. As part of the program, a one week intensive summer initiative provides YPIE Scholars the confidence to know they’re prepared to navigate the challenges low income, first-generation students confront in the first years at college: time management, taking advantage of clubs and activities, how to access support services, living with a roommate, handling homesickness, budgeting, health and safety.

YPIE has been a trusted partner of the Yonkers Public Schools for more than ten years. YPIE College Advisors are certified guidance counselors who are embedded in the high schools and provide quality college advising to our students. We are the only nonprofit in Yonkers partnering with the public schools to provide students with comprehensive supports from 9th grade through college graduation.

YPIE operates the City's only dedicated extended day learning space, the YPIE College Zone, that focuses on rigorous academics, interwoven with enrichment and other activities to help students develop skills needed for college, career, and life.

Finally, YPIE has an army of volunteer Graduation Coaches who have made a four-year commitment to mentoring our students. Academic rigor, enrichment and skill-building, mentoring and support while in college are the capabilities that make YPIE uniquely qualified to meet our goals.

YPIE operates in a mid-sized urban school district with urgent educational needs, never-ending budget battles, and inadequate after-school options. The outcomes YPIE is achieving under these circumstances is especially noteworthy and can be scaled even further with additional investment. Our programs could be replicated and our knowledge shared with other high-need school districts seeking to achieve more effective college pathways for their struggling students.

Accomplishments to date include:
-- 1,200 students served each year
-- 89% of our 2020 graduates enrolled in college
-- 74% of our 2017 College Success students persisted into their 4th year of college