Achieve Atlanta Inc

ACHIEVE ATLANTA ENVISIONS A FUTURE WHERE ATLANTA IS A CITY WHERE RACE AND INCOME NO LONGER PREDICT POSTSECONDARY SUCCESS AND UPWARD MOBILITY. IN SERVICE OF THIS VISION, ACHIEVE ATLANTA'S MISSION IS TO HELP ATLANTA PUBLIC SCHOOLS STUDENTS ACCESS, AFFORD, AND EARN POSTSECONDARY CREDENTIALS. JUST AS IMPORTANT AS WHAT WE DO, IS HOW WE APPROACH OUR WORK. ACHIEVE ATLANTA BELIEVES THAT TO SOLVE THE COMPLEX PROBLEM OF LOW-DEGREE ATTAINMENT, WE MUST WORK ACROSS SECTORS. THEREFORE, ACHIEVE ATLANTA CATALYZES AND FACILITATES RESULTS-DRIVEN CROSS-SECTOR COLLABORATION BY SETTING A VISION, ASSEMBLING TEAMS, AND CREATING CONDITIONS FOR SUCCESS ACROSS A RANGE OF PARTNERS INCLUDING ATLANTA PUBLIC SCHOOLS, NUMEROUS COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES, NONPROFIT AND COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS, AND MOST IMPORTANTLY, STUDENTS AND FAMILIES.

COLLEGE ACCESS - SEE SCHEDULE OACHIEVE ATLANTA WORKS WITH ATLANTA PUBLIC SCHOOLS AND PROVIDES STRATEGIC, FINANCIAL AND OPERATIONAL SUPPORT TO DESIGN AND IMPLEMENT A DISTRICT-WIDE COLLEGE ADVISING PROGRAM. AS PART OF THIS EFFORT, ACHIEVE ATLANTA HAS ENGAGED THE COLLEGE ADVISING CORPS TO PROVIDE COLLEGE ADVISERS ACROSS ALL HIGH SCHOOLS TO SUPPORT 12TH GRADERS WITH THE TECHNICAL ASPECTS OF THE COLLEGE-GOING PROCESS (E.G., RESEARCHING COLLEGES, APPLYING TO COLLEGE, REGISTERING FOR COLLEGE ENTRANCE EXAMS, APPLYING FOR FINANCIAL AID AND SCHOLARSHIPS). IN ADDITION, ACHIEVE ATLANTA HAS ENGAGED ONEGOAL, INC. TO WORK WITH COHORTS OF STUDENTS AT VARIOUS HIGH SCHOOLS THROUGH A CREDIT-BEARING ELECTIVE COURSE DESIGNED TO BUILD ACADEMIC SKILLS AND TEACH STUDENTS TO ANTICIPATE AND OVERCOME ROADBLOCKS ON THE PATH TO COLLEGE GRADUATION. FINALLY, ACHIEVE ATLANTA PROVIDES TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE, DATA ANALYSES, AND COLLEGE ACCESS-RELATED TRAINING TO DISTRICT, HIGH SCHOOL, AND PARTNER STAFF IN SUPPORT OF THE PROGRAM. SINCE ACHIEVE ATLANTA'S INCEPTION, SIGNIFICANT GAINS HAVE BEEN MADE ON ALL COLLEGE ACCESS LEADING INDICATORS AND COLLEGE ENROLLMENT RATES HAVE INCREASED.

COLLEGE AFFORDABILITY - SEE SCHEDULE OACHIEVE ATLANTA WORKS WITH ATLANTA PUBLIC SCHOOLS AND ITS EXTERNAL PARTNERS TO PROVIDE INFORMATION, TRAINING AND TOOLS TO ENSURE STUDENTS CAN MAKE INFORMED DECISIONS ABOUT COLLEGE COSTS AND ACCESS FUNDING TO SUPPORT THOSE COSTS. IN ADDITION, ACHIEVE ATLANTA PROVIDES THE STATE'S LARGEST NEED-BASED SCHOLARSHIP TO SUPPORT ATLANTA PUBLIC SCHOOL STUDENTS PURSUING VARIOUS POSTSECONDARY EDUCATION PATHS AFTER HIGH SCHOOL. FOR STUDENTS ATTENDING A FOUR-YEAR COLLEGE, THE ACHIEVE ATLANTA SCHOLARSHIP IS WORTH UP TO $5,000 PER YEAR (RENEWABLE FOR UP TO FOUR YEARS OF SCHOOL). FOR STUDENTS ATTENDING A TWO-YEAR OR TECHNICAL COLLEGE, THE AWARD IS UP TO $1,500 PER YEAR (RENEWABLE FOR UP TO TWO YEARS OF SCHOOL). ACHIEVE ATLANTA ALSO PROVIDES EMERGENCY GRANTS OF UP TO $500 TO SUPPORT STUDENTS FACED WITH AN UNEXPECTED FINANCIAL NEED TO ALLOW THEM TO STAY ON TRACK IN COLLEGE, AS WELL AS COMPLETION GRANTS FOR SOME STUDENTS WHO HAVE EXHAUSTED THEIR ACHIEVE ATLANTA SCHOLARSHIP BUT NEED ASSISTANCE TO COMPLETE UP TO TWO MORE TERMS. THESE SCHOLARSHIPS AND GRANTS ARE MEANT TO HELP CLOSE THE FINANCIAL GAPS STUDENTS FACE IN PAYING FOR COLLEGE.

COLLEGE SUCCESS - SEE SCHEDULE OACHIEVE ATLANTA HAS ESTABLISHED FORMAL RELATIONSHIPS WITH SEVERAL GEORGIA COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES TO STREAMLINE ADVISING AND COACHING SERVICES FOR ATLANTA PUBLIC SCHOOLS GRADUATES ATTENDING ONE OF THESE INSTITUTIONS. ACHIEVE ATLANTA HAS ALSO CONTRACTED WITH BEYOND 12 AND EDU-TECH ENTERPRISES, TWO COLLEGE SUCCESS NONPROFITS, TO PROVIDE COACHING AND ADVISING TO ATLANTA PUBLIC SCHOOL GRADUATES WHILE THEY ARE IN COLLEGE. IN ADDITION, ACHIEVE ATLANTA HAS DEVELOPED A PEER-AMBASSADOR PROGRAM, ESTABLISHED MENTAL HEALTH SUPPORTS AND AN EMERGENCY GRANT PROGRAM, AS WELL AS HIRED A COLLEGE COACH FELLOW TO PROVIDE TARGETED SUPPORT TO SCHOLARS IN TWO-YEAR AND TECHNICAL PROGRAMS. COLLECTIVELY, THESE EFFORTS ARE INTENDED TO INCREASE THE RATES OF COLLEGE PERSISTENCE AND COMPLETION FOR ATLANTA PUBLIC SCHOOL GRADUATES. TO DATE, ACHIEVE ATLANTA SCHOLARS ARE PERSISTING AND GRADUATING YEAR TO YEAR AT SIMILAR RATES TO STUDENTS OF ALL INCOME LEVELS ENROLLED IN THE UNIVERSITY SYSTEM OF GEORGIA.