ELEVATE PHOENIX

We are hoping to increase the number of at-risk youth who are staying in school, graduating, and moving on to post-secondary education. The demographics of students served is approximately 80% Hispanic, 1% Native American, 2% Asian, 12% African American and 5% Caucasian. Nearly all come from low-income families. The typical Elevate Phoenix student is someone who wants a better future, but circumstances make it difficult to envision. They see their parents and other adults in the neighborhood who are weary from the daily struggle. In addition, many students don't have a sibling or parent who completed high school and they don't know anyone who went to college to prepare for the career of their dreams. On their way to school, they walk past friends who dropped out of school -- and try to convince them to do the same. They hear, “Why are you wasting your time? Skip school and hang with us." They are ridiculed for doing the right thing by turning down offers of drugs and joining a gang. Yet, these students are beating the odds because Elevate Phoenix gives them caring mentors, teaching them reading and character development curriculum, and having its teacher-mentors remain available to the students 24/7 for help with a bully or any other issue with which they are struggling. We help them through school, and beyond, so they can secure a good job and have a brighter future.

Our strategies include conducting these programs:
Elevate Phoenix's programs and services include:
• RISE (Relationships. Instruction. Support. Equipping.) Program, which helps low-income, at-risk students remain in school, envision and achieve a successful future, enroll and remain in college, and prepare for employment.
• Discover Your Future: Education, Mentoring and Relationships Program, which helps at-risk students in Grades K-12 stay in school, graduate, and enroll in post-secondary education.
• Reading Program, which improves the literacy skills of thousands of students in Grades 2-12 each year.
• In-school tutoring. Elevate Phoenix's teacher-mentors provide tutoring in reading, workforce readiness, social studies, math and other school subjects over lunch and after school.

The other key strategy is the relationship between students and the Elevate Phoenix teacher-mentors. Most of our teacher-mentors grew up in low-income urban areas of Phoenix and understand the challenges our students face and how to overcome them to stay in school, graduate and go on to college and a career. They model good behavior and choices that the students want to emulate. They are available 24/7 to help students with homework, a problem at home, completing job applications and college entrance forms, and anything else they need. Many students woefully lack a role model in their lives and our teacher-mentors provide for that need. In fact, they have taken ill students to the clinic; helped students (and parents) access resources for drug-related health issues; and provided grief support when a family member was killed due to gang violence or other issue -- even conducting fundraisers to help with the funeral costs. The high school and college students feel supported and encouraged, have the desire to stay in school through graduation, and eagerly participate in workforce readiness activities to secure a job. Having a teacher-mentor who knows their challenges, and who successfully graduated, went to college and is working in the career of their choice, gives students the desire to stay in school and the knowledge that they, too, can succeed.

Elevate Phoenix is capable of meeting all of its goals due to its successful track record and excellent, experienced staff. Elevate Phoenix is accredited through a Phoenix Union High School District Governing Board agreement, and is replicated on the very successful Colorado Uplift program model. Elevate Phoenix also is a registered 501 (c)(3) nonprofit organization. Tim Cleary, Executive Director, has 33+ years of experience as a national educational consultant and trainer. He holds a B.A. in Psychology and an M.A. in Media Communications. Amanda Covarrubias, Teacher-Mentor (TM), holds a B.A. in Youth Program Management from ASU. Juan Chavez, TM, is pursuing his Bachelor's degree in Youth Work. Dalila Gamper, TM, certified teacher and curriculum specialist, holds Bachelor's and Master's degrees in Education from ASU. Jazmine Hall, College and Development Director, holds a Master's degree in Business Management and a Bachelor's Degree in Human Communication from ASU. All other TMs hold at least a Bachelor's degree.

Elevate Phoenix's Board of Directors is responsible for the agency's ongoing governance. They advance the agency's mission by setting policy, providing governance and program and agency evaluation, overseeing the agency's strategic direction, and through active participation in leadership fundraising and donor stewardship.

Elevate Phoenix's accomplishments over the past year include:
• Serving 4,980 unduplicated students. Some of the numbers in the bullets below represent students served by more than one of our programs.
• Being embedded in schools in four school districts: Phoenix Union HS District, Creighton District, Roosevelt District, and the Maricopa County Community College District.
• Supporting 1,592 K-12 students through our Discover Your Future Program, including providing daily classroom / mentoring programming, tutoring, lunch program, college post-secondary preparation groups, community service projects, camps and student events.
• Assisting 2,956 students through our K-12 reading and literacy program.
• Serving 875 students in Grades K-8 through our Summer School Programs in our summer reading and activity programs that begin with the Summer School camps.
• Serving 450 young adults through our R.I.S.E. (Relationships. Instruction. Support. Equipping.) college bridge and alumni mentoring programs.
• The R.I.S.E. students successfully earned six college credits and performed at an average of a 3.88 G.P.A. to start their college careers.
• Determining that 100% of the R.I.S.E. students had a post-secondary plan to continue on to college, a trade/certificate program, the military/armed forces and/or the workforce.