Educating Students Together, Inc.

While less than 1% of high school students ever receive a full-ride scholarship (i.e., tuition, housing, books, transportation, and supplies), 25% of EST's College Access Program participants received one. Our goals are to not only improve the percentage of students who apply to highly selective or selective colleges and find the money to pay for it but we also work on the following sub-set of goals.

1) 60 students will consistently participate in and complete the program.
2) 80% of students who complete the program will attain an average or above-average score on their ACT.
3) 80% of all program participants will be accepted to and enroll in a four-year college.
4) 80% will remain in touch with their mentor and report having a strong network of support they can reach out to when they need help.
5) At least 60% of students complete a degree within six years.
6) 100% will complete their financial aid modules, ensuring that they will make sound financial decisions in the future.

Our internal evaluation process includes gathering baseline data during student intake, tracking the services delivered to each student, surveying students and parents, collecting college acceptance and enrollment data,​ and tracking students through their college career. Projected outcomes are based on past program performance.

College Counseling and Preparation. We begin working with students as soon as they enter our program to ensure that they are completing and passing the A-G courses (classes required for college entrance). Next, we help them identify colleges that will best suit them, even offering fully funded tours of colleges across the country. We guide them through their college essays and applications and assist them in developing a brag sheet to help their teachers and counselors write strong letters of recommendation. Tutoring is provided to students in need of additional academic support and all our students participate in a 12-week ACT prep course to help them achieve the highest score possible. (The ACT is a standardized test comparable to the SAT but, is widely considered to be a more equitable testing instrument for students of color.) High ACT scores are critical to both the college admissions and scholarship application processes if students are interested in full-ride (tuition, housing, books, and supplies) scholarships. Wi-fi hotspots are provided on an as-needed basis to ensure students can consistently participate. Before we begin class, we check in with every student to assess their social and emotional well-being by anonymously asking them if they are feeling high or low. We follow up with students who mark words like “depressed, glum, down, lonely, or miserable.”

Mentoring and Networks of Support. Monthly mentoring sessions begin during students’ first days with the program and continue all the way through college. This year we are adding a summer peer mentoring component, connecting high school seniors with college students from our program, expanding their network of peer support. Research shows that mentorship is a highly effective non-academic strategy to support the success of foster youth and it is considered a best practice. The strong bonds that our students and mentors develop facilitate trust and open communication. Students know that they don’t need to wait for the next mentoring session, they can reach out to their mentor whenever they need help. Once a student has started college, their mentor will help them navigate campus resources, connect with other EST students on campus or at other nearby schools, and guide them in the development of a positive, supportive network on campus. Our students know they are never alone.

Financial Coaching and Support. As early as their junior year of high school, our counselors help students identify and apply for scholarships to help pay for college. This year, we launched Scholarship Club, which engages parents/guardians of our students in the process of helping to research and identify scholarships. The first Sunday of every month, we host a meeting of the Scholarship Club. The only rule is that each person has to bring at least two new scholarships to share with the group. We also help students complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).

The internal resources that we have for meeting our goals include dedicated staff and board members (N=15) who are primarily higher education professors or former college administrators, and a cadre of experts who volunteer (N=50) to assist our program participants in the area of writing college and scholarship essays to stand out from the crowd, standardized test preparation, and mentoring. The external resources that we have include strong community partnerships. Our partners include:

County of Los Angeles Department of Children and Family Services—refer foster youth
L.A. County Office of Education-refer foster youth
L.A.U.S.D. -refer foster and low-income students
San Fernando Valley Advocates-refer students
Village Nation-refer low-income students
United Friends of the Children-invitation to college recruitment event for foster families
Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority-provide volunteer mentors
College Path Los Angeles-provide training for the volunteer mentors
CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocates for Children)-refer foster youth
She Ready (Tiffany Haddish’s Foundation)-refer foster youth
Project Joy -refer foster youth
Youth with a Purpose-refer foster youth
Faith Foster Families Network-we work with this organization through Holman United Methodist Church to recruit foster youth
Southern California College Access Network-hold meetings for 100 nonprofits working in the college planning and access space
Brotherhood Crusade-refer students and donate
Valero Energy Company-sponsor of our ACT prep class
Microsoft- features our program in their annual give event for employees
Sony Pictures Entertainment funds materials needed for summer school
The Gene Hale Foundation-major donor
The Matthew and Roberta Jenkins Foundation-major donor
Bank of America-major donor
Greater Los Angeles African American Chamber of Commerce-refer students
Walmart -donate
Union Bank-annual donor

$2 million in institutional scholarships was awarded to program participants last year with a goal to increase this amount every year.
$100,000 in outside scholarships was awarded to program participants last year with a goal of also increasing this amount every year.
80% of program participants increased their standardized test scores.
5,135 students have been served
350 is the average number of program participants each year.
100% are accepted into four-year colleges.
Alumni work in the fields of medicine, engineering, education, as chemists, research scientists, art historians, etc.