High Jump

HIGH JUMP IS A TUITION FREE, TWO YEAR ENRICHMENT PROGRAM FOR TALENTED AND MOTIVATED MIDDLE SCHOOL STUDENTS WITH LIMITED FAMILY INCOME. THE STUDENTS ATTEND CLASSES FOR A SIX WEEK SESSION DURING THE SUMMERS BEFORE 7TH AND 8TH GRADE; AS WELL AS ATTEND CLASSES TWO SATURDAYS A MONTH DURING THE SCHOOL YEARS. THE PROGRAM GOALS ARE TO IMPROVE THE STUDENTS' ACADEMIC CAPABILITIES, GROW THEIR SOCIAL-EMOTIONAL COMPETENCIES AND INCREASE THEIR ACCESS TO HIGH-QUALITY HIGH SCHOOL OPTIONS. HIGH JUMP ALSO OFFERS PROGRAMMING FOR ALUMNI (HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS). THIS PROGRAMMING IS FOCUSED ON HELPING STUDENTS NAVIGATE HIGH SCHOOL, DEVELOP LEADERSHIP SKILLS, AND GAIN ACCEPTANCE AND ENROLL IN A FOUR-YEAR COLLEGE PROGRAM.

HAVING SERVED 33 COHORTS OF STUDENTS SINCE OUR FOUNDING IN 1989, HIGH JUMP HAS ENROLLED OVER 2,500 MIDDLE SCHOOL STUDENTS INTO THE MIDDLE SCHOOL PROGRAM. CURRENTLY, OUR COHORTS ARE COMPOSED OF 224 RISING 7TH GRADERS. WITHIN EACH COHORT, 95% OF OUR STUDENTS ARE FROM CHICAGOPUBLIC SCHOOLS, NEARLY 65% WILL BE THE FIRST IN THEIR FAMILY TO ATTEND ANY POST-SECONDARY SCHOOLING, 44% IDENTIFY AS HISPANIC AND 40% IDENTIFY AS AFRICAN-AMERICAN. THE AVERAGE STUDENT COMES FROM A FAMILY OF FOUR WITH A HOUSEHOLD INCOME OF $31,000 ANNUALLY.THE PROGRAM REQUIRES STUDENTS TO SPEND APPROXIMATELY 350 HOURS PER YEAR WITH OUR TEACHERS ENGAGED IN ACADEMIC AND SOCIAL-EMOTIONAL COURSEWORK, AS WELL AS COUNSELING FOR HIGH SCHOOL ACCESS AND READINESS. OVER THE INITIAL TWO-YEAR PROGRAM, WE RETAIN APPROXIMATELY 88% OF OURSTUDENTS.WHEN EXAMINING THEIR STANDARDIZED TEST SCORES, STUDENTS WHO ATTEND HIGH JUMP MAKE TWO YEARS OF MATH AND READING GROWTH FOR EVERY ONE YEAR THEY ATTEND THE PROGRAM. OUR STUDENTS MAINTAIN HIGH GPAS AND ATTENDANCE RATES. 85% OF OUR STUDENTS GO ON TO ATTEND RIGOROUS COLLEGE PREP HIGH SCHOOLS IN CHICAGO AND THROUGHOUT THE COUNTRY. 50% OF OUR STUDENTS ATTEND SELECTIVE ENROLLMENT HIGH SCHOOLS IN CHICAGO PUBLIC SCHOOLS AND 30% OF OUR STUDENTS ATTEND SELECTIVE PRIVATE SCHOOLS. WHILE IN HIGH SCHOOL, 100% OF OUR ALUMNI REPORT THAT HIGH JUMP PREPARED THEM WELL FOR HIGH SCHOOL ALL OF OUR STUDENTS GRADUATE HIGH SCHOOL AND 98% OF THEM ENROLL IN COLLEGE IMMEDIATELY UPON HIGH SCHOOL COMPLETION. 79% OF OUR TOTAL ALUMNI, AND 87% OF OUR MOST RECENT COHORT HAVE GRADUATED FROM COLLEGE, COMPARED TO 33% OF AMERICANS OVER THE AGE OF 25.