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 HAS ENGAGED THE COLLEGE BOARD TO PROVIDE IN-SCHOOL SAT TESTING FOR ALL APS JUNIORS AT NO COST TO STUDENTS. SINCE ACHIEVE ATLANTA'S INCEPTION, SIGNIFICANT GAINS HAVE BEEN MADE ON ALL COLLEGE ACCESS LEADING INDICATORS AND COLLEGE ENROLLMENT RATES HAVE INCREASED.

SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM - SEE SCHEDULE OTHE ACHIEVE ATLANTA SCHOLARSHIP IS A NEED-BASED AWARD DESIGNED TO SUPPORT ATLANTA PUBLIC SCHOOL STUDENTS PURSUING VARIOUS POSTSECONDARY EDUCATION PATHS AFTER HIGH SCHOOL. FOR STUDENTS ATTENDING A 4-YEAR COLLEGE, ACHIEVE ATLANTA AWARDS UP TO $5000 PER YEAR (RENEWABLE FOR UP TO FOUR YEARS OF SCHOOL). FOR STUDENTS ATTENDING A 2-YEAR OR TECHNICAL COLLEGE, THE AWARD IS UP TO $1500 PER YEAR (RENEWABLE FOR UP TO TWO YEARS OF SCHOOL). THESE SCHOLARSHIPS ARE MEANT TO HELP CLOSE THE FINANCIAL GAPS STUDENTS FACE IN PAYING FOR COLLEGE. THE ACHIEVE ATLANTA SCHOLARSHIP IS AN IMPORTANT PART OF THE ORGANIZATION'S BROADER EFFORT TO DRAMATICALLY INCREASE THE NUMBER OF APS STUDENTS WHO EARN A POSTSECONDARY DEGREE OR CREDENTIAL.

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 2-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.