Step Ahead Idaho Inc

STEP AHEAD IDAHO ADDRESSES THE COMMUNITY NEED FOR MORE COMPREHENSIVE, AFFORDABLE COLLEGE ADMISSIONS COUNSELING WITH A THREE-PRONGED APPROACH, WHICH REPRESENTS OUR THREE MAIN PROGRAM SERVICES: FREE COLLEGE DROP-IN ADVISING, FREE WORKSHOPS, FEE-FOR-SERVICE CLIENTS AND PAID WORKSHOPS. 1. FREE COLLEGE ADVISING DROP-IN CENTERS. WE OPERATE TWO COLLEGE ADVISING CENTERS: A POP-UP DROP-IN AT THE DOWNTOWN YMCA AND A STAND-ALONE CENTER ADJACENT TO THE HILLCREST LIBRARY. THESE DROP-IN CENTERS ARE COMPLETELY FREE OF CHARGE AND DESIGNED TO BE PLACES WHERE STUDENTS CAN GET COUNSELING AND ADVICE ON ANY ASPECT OF THE COLLEGE- GOING PROCESS. WE ARE STILL RECOVERING FROM COVID CLOSURES AND CONTINUE TO OFFER STUDENTS THE OPTION TO EITHER ZOOM WITH US OR VISIT WITH US IN PERSON. BETWEEN BOTH DROP-IN SITES AND VIA ZOOM, WE SEE STUDENTS FOUR DAYS PER WEEK, HELPING STUDENTS AND FAMILIES NAVIGATE THE COLLEGE APPLICATION, FINANCIAL AID, SCHOLARSHIP SEARCH, AND COLLEGE ESSAY WRITING PROCESS. STAFFING THESE SITES OURSELVES AND TRAINING VOLUNTEERS TO ASSIST US, WE TYPICALLY SEE 50-60 STUDENTS EACH MONTH. THE YMCA CHARGES NO RENT FOR THE USE OF THEIR SPACE, AND THE LIBRARY CHARGES 550 PER MONTH FOR THE USE OF OUR HILLCREST OFFICE. OUR PROJECTED RESOURCES BUDGET FOR THESE SITES IS 37,000 PER YEAR. THERE ARE 14 PUBLIC HIGH SCHOOLS IN THE TREASURE VALLEY, AND MORE THAN 10 PRIVATE AND CHARTER HIGH SCHOOLS THAT SERVE OVER 25,000 HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS. AS THE TREASURE VALLEY EXPERIENCES RAPID GROWTH, OUR CAPACITY TO SERVE THIS INCREASED, DIVERSE POPULATION OF LEARNERS WILL ALSO EXPAND. 2. FREE WORKSHOPS. BEFORE COVID-19, WE STRIVED TO REACH OUT TO THE LARGER COMMUNITY WITH FREE TALKS AT OUR NEW HILLCREST LOCATION AND EVENTS THAT PROVIDE INFORMATION TO TARGETED GROUPS. AMONG OUR MOST HEAVILY ATTENDED SESSIONS WERE: HOW TO CHOOSE A COLLEGE, WHAT TO KNOW ABOUT APPLYING TO SELECTIVE SCHOOLS/MILITARY ACADEMIES/THE IVY LEAGUES, NAVIGATING FINANCIAL AID, BOISE SCHOOL DISTRICT HEALTH PROFESSIONS EXPO AND HOW TO BE A RECRUITED ATHLETE. OUR OUTREACH EXTENDED TO PROVIDING WORKSHOPS AT THE HISPANIC LEADERSHIP CONFERENCE, LEADERSHIP BOISE, BOISE SCHOOL DISTRICT EVENINGS ABOUT HEALTH AND STEMBASED CAREERS, SESSIONS FOR FINANCIAL PLANNERS INTERESTED IN PROVIDING BETTER COLLEGE AFFORDABILITY ADVICE FOR THEIR CLIENTS, AND COLLEGE-READINESS CLINICS FOR OVER 1500 JUNIOR HIGH AND HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS. THE PANDEMIC SHIFTED OUR FOCUS TO WORKING WITH INDIVIDUALS AND THEIR FAMILIES SO OUR ASSISTANCE IS TARGETED AND PERSONALIZED, AND TO WORKING IN PARTNERSHIP WITH ORGANIZATIONS LIKE COLLEGE BOUND TO DELIVER PROGRAMMING THAT IS DESIGNED FOR FEWER STUDENTS AT ONE TIME VIA IN PERSON SESSIONS AND DIFFERENT DIGITAL LEARNING PLATFORMS. OUR RESOURCES BUDGET FOR THIS ASPECT OF OUR SERVICES IS 10,000 PER YEAR. 3. FEE-FOR-SERVICE CLIENTS & PAID WORKSHOPS. WE OFFER SEVERAL PRIVATE ADVISING OPTIONS FOR STUDENTS, INCLUDING ONE-ON- ONE ADVISING AND INTENSIVE ESSAY-WRITING WORKSHOPS ALL ON A SLIDING-SCALE, FEE-FOR-SERVICE BASIS. OVER TEN YEARS, WE HAVE GROWN FROM SERVING A HANDFUL OF STUDENTS TO OVER 200 ONE-ON-ONE EACH YEAR. IN 2022, WE HELD SEVERAL COLLEGE ESSAY WRITING WORKSHOPS AT OUR HILLCREST CENTER, AS WELL AS AFFORDABLE SMALL-GROUP TEST PREP IN PARTNERSHIP WITH VETTED LOCAL TUTORS WE KNOW OFFER QUALITY TUTORING FOR THE PSAT, SAT AND ACT. WE ALSO VISITED VISION CHARTER TO HOST A COLLEGE READINESS NIGHT FOR 9TH-12TH GRADERS. IN 2023, OUR AIM IS TO INCREASE OUR WORKSHOPS AT AREA SCHOOLS, AS WELL AS HOST PROGRAMS AT OUR HILLCREST OFFICE IN PARTNERSHIP WITH COLLEGE BOUND AND THE IRC. OUR RESOURCES BUDGET FOR THIS ASPECT OF OUR SERVICES IS 14,500 PER YEAR.