Bay Area Hybrid College Initiative

AFFORDABLE AND ACCESSIBLE HIGHER EDUCATION FOR TRADITIONALLY UNDERSERVED STUDENTS.

OUR FOUNDING DEGREE PARTNER IS SOUTHERN NEW HAMPSHIRE UNIVERSITY AND A PROGRAM CALLED COLLEGE FOR AMERICA CFA. THROUGH CFA, ENROLLEES EARN THEIR BACHELORS IN MANAGEMENT. THIS PROGRAM FOCUSES ON BUILDING A WIDE RANGE OF MANAGEMENT SKILLS FROM OPERATIONS, TO BUSINESS WRITING, TO FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT, TEAM LEADERSHIP, STRATEGY, AND MORE. IN 2021, OUR TEAM GREW FROM NINE TO FIFTEEN, AND WE'VE RETAINED A STRONG SENSE OF MORALE AND CONNECTION AS WE'VE GROWN. WE'VE SOLIDLY POSITIONED OUR PROGRAM AS VIRTUAL-FIRST AND EXPANDED TO SERVE STUDENTS ACROSS CALIFORNIA (WE HAVE NEARLY 20 STUDENTS IN LA!). WE ACHIEVED NEARLY ALL OF OUR MAJOR ROADMAP PRIORITIES IN 2021, FROM REVAMPING PROGRAMS LIKE PAY IT FORWARD AND BRIDGE, TO MAKING SIGNIFICANT INVESTMENTS IN BUILDING A DATA INFRASTRUCTURE FOR FUTURE GROWTH. BEYOND OUR CONTINUED REFINEMENT OF THE COLLEGE PROGRAM, WE DEDICATED TIME TO REVAMP AND DESIGN NEW PROGRAM ELEMENTS, INCLUDING REVAMPING OUR PAY IT FORWARD PROGRAM TO BE MORE STUDENT-FRIENDLY, DEVELOPING A NEW 10-WEEK CURRICULUM FOR OUR BRIDGE PROGRAM, COMPLETING AN ANALYSIS OF JOB PROSPECTS FOR GRADUATES, AND PILOTING A TOTALLY NEW PROGRAM, CALLED RIVETWORKS, WHICH ENGAGED EMPLOYERS AND FELLOWS IN A MULTI-WEEK EXTERNSHIP EXPERIENCE. IN RESPONSE TO STUDENT CONCERNS EXACERBATED BY THE PANDEMIC, INCLUDING JOB LOSS, HOUSING INSTABILITY, AND PHYSICAL AND MENTAL HEALTH ISSUES, OUR EMERGENCY FUND GRANTS KICKED INTO HIGH GEAR, BOLSTERED BY A $15K GRANT FROM THE SOBRATO FOUNDATION TO CHANNEL FUNDING TO MORE FELLOWS. WE SET UP AND ADMINISTERED OUR EMERGENCY FUND, DISBURSING OVER $40K SINCE THE PANDEMIC BEGAN (ALL PHILANTHROPICALLY SUPPORTED). WE ALSO PURSUED NEW COMMUNITY-BASED WRAP-AROUND SERVICES FOR FELLOWS, INCLUDING A PARTNERSHIP WITH CSU-EAST BAY'S COUNSELING GRADUATE SCHOOL. OVER 12 OF OUR FELLOWS HAVE BEEN ACTIVELY RECEIVING THERAPY SERVICES THROUGH THE PROGRAM AT NO COST SINCE THE INITIATIVE BEGAN THIS SUMMER. DESPITE A CLEAR AND CONSISTENT SLOW-DOWN IN FELLOW PROGRESS (MEDIAN PACE REMAINED WELL ABOVE OUR RELATED KPI THIS YEAR), OUR FELLOWS ARE ENGAGED AND PERSISTING. OUR 73% LIFETIME PERSISTENCE, AND 1-YEAR COHORT RETENTION RATE OF 82% INDICATE HIGH LEVELS OF PROGRAM STICKINESS. AND 60%-70% OF FELLOWS ARE ACTIVELY ENGAGED IN A GIVEN WEEK. OUR ANNUAL SURVEY CAPTURED A NET PROMOTER SCORE OF 85, A STRONG INDICATOR OF FELLOW SATISFACTION.

OUR FOUNDING DEGREE PARTNER IS SOUTHERN NEW HAMPSHIRE UNIVERSITY AND A PROGRAM CALLED COLLEGE FOR AMERICA CFA. THROUGH CFA, ENROLLEES EARN THEIR BACHELORS IN MANAGEMENT. THIS PROGRAM FOCUSES ON BUILDING A WIDE RANGE OF MANAGEMENT SKILLS FROM OPERATIONS, TO BUSINESS WRITING, TO FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT, TEAM LEADERSHIP, STRATEGY, AND MORE. IN 2021, OUR TEAM GREW FROM NINE TO FIFTEEN, AND WE'VE RETAINED A STRONG SENSE OF MORALE AND CONNECTION AS WE'VE GROWN. WE'VE SOLIDLY POSITIONED OUR PROGRAM AS VIRTUAL-FIRST AND EXPANDED TO SERVE STUDENTS ACROSS CALIFORNIA (WE HAVE NEARLY 20 STUDENTS IN LA!). WE ACHIEVED NEARLY ALL OF OUR MAJOR ROADMAP PRIORITIES IN 2021, FROM REVAMPING PROGRAMS LIKE PAY IT FORWARD AND BRIDGE, TO MAKING SIGNIFICANT INVESTMENTS IN BUILDING A DATA INFRASTRUCTURE FOR FUTURE GROWTH. BEYOND OUR CONTINUED REFINEMENT OF THE COLLEGE PROGRAM, WE DEDICATED TIME TO REVAMP AND DESIGN NEW PROGRAM ELEMENTS, INCLUDING REVAMPING OUR PAY IT FORWARD PROGRAM TO BE MORE STUDENT-FRIENDLY, DEVELOPING A NEW 10-WEEK CURRICULUM FOR OUR BRIDGE PROGRAM, COMPLETING AN ANALYSIS OF JOB PROSPECTS FOR GRADUATES, AND PILOTING A TOTALLY NEW PROGRAM, CALLED RIVETWORKS, WHICH ENGAGED EMPLOYERS AND FELLOWS IN A MULTI-WEEK EXTERNSHIP EXPERIENCE. IN RESPONSE TO STUDENT CONCERNS EXACERBATED BY THE PANDEMIC, INCLUDING JOB LOSS, HOUSING INSTABILITY, AND PHYSICAL AND MENTAL HEALTH ISSUES, OUR EMERGENCY FUND GRANTS KICKED INTO HIGH GEAR, BOLSTERED BY A $15K GRANT FROM THE SOBRATO FOUNDATION TO CHANNEL FUNDING TO MORE FELLOWS. WE SET UP AND ADMINISTERED OUR EMERGENCY FUND, DISBURSING OVER $40K SINCE THE PANDEMIC BEGAN (ALL PHILANTHROPICALLY SUPPORTED). WE ALSO PURSUED NEW COMMUNITY-BASED WRAP-AROUND SERVICES FOR FELLOWS, INCLUDING A PARTNERSHIP WITH CSU-EAST BAY'S COUNSELING GRADUATE SCHOOL. OVER 12 OF OUR FELLOWS HAVE BEEN ACTIVELY RECEIVING THERAPY SERVICES THROUGH THE PROGRAM AT NO COST SINCE THE INITIATIVE BEGAN THIS SUMMER. DESPITE A CLEAR AND CONSISTENT SLOW-DOWN IN FELLOW PROGRESS (MEDIAN PACE REMAINED WELL ABOVE OUR RELATED KPI THIS YEAR), OUR FELLOWS ARE ENGAGED AND PERSISTING. OUR 73% LIFETIME PERSISTENCE, AND 1-YEAR COHORT RETENTION RATE OF 82% INDICATE HIGH LEVELS OF PROGRAM STICKINESS. AND 60%-70% OF FELLOWS ARE ACTIVELY ENGAGED IN A GIVEN WEEK. OUR ANNUAL SURVEY CAPTURED A NET PROMOTER SCORE OF 85, A STRONG INDICATOR OF FELLOW SATISFACTION.