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Building Community Partnerships to Support the College Aspirations of Young People

Presented to National Partnership for Educational Access

April 2010

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Experts in Room!

Name:

Organization:

One thing your organization does exceptionally well:

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Overview of Session

I. ACCESS Overview

II. Introduction: ACCESS Community Engagement Strategy Philosophy: Working For Working With

History and Evolution

III. Community Partnership Program Overview Program Overview

Key Partners

Partnership Model

Preliminary Results

IV. Success Boston Overview Program Overview

Key Partners

Partnership Model

Preliminary Results

V. Strategies for Success & Potential Pitfalls

VI. Questions & Takeaways What was not covered today, that I can make sure to get back to you on?

Any other ways ACCESS can help support the growth of your community partnership efforts?

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Mission: ACCESS works to ensure that all young people in Boston and Springfield have the financial information and resources necessary to achieve their dream of a higher education.

Vision and Mission

Vision: We imagine a day when every young person in Boston and Springfield reaches their fullest potential by graduating from college, regardless of their family’s financial capacity or college experience.

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ACCESS’s Current Programs

Early Awareness & Community Outreach Program. This program aims to educate younger students and their families about the many resources available to help pay for college. By building partnerships with Boston schools and community-based organizations, Early Awareness expands ACCESS’s reach to new populations of students and parents.

High School Advising Program. ACCESS provides expert financial aid advice to high school seniors in every neighborhood in Boston. The program employs a multifaceted approach, incorporating one-on-one advising, small-group workshops on specialized topics, and large-group presentations on the basics of financial aid.

Last Dollar Scholarships. Last Dollar Scholarships range from $200 to $2500 and are renewable for up to six years. They often make the difference between students attending the college of their choice or not attending college at all. Students advised by ACCESS who demonstrate unmet financial need are eligible.

Postsecondary Success. The Postsecondary program provides financial aid advising and support once Boston students have reached postsecondary education. It is designed to ensure that students overcome any financial obstacles that might prevent them from completing higher education.

ACCESS runs a continuum of programs focused on young people beginning in 7th grade and stretching until they graduate from

college. Our programs include:

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Working For Working With

Community Engagement & PartnershipWhen multiple groups or agencies work together for

mutual benefit of the greater community.

Why this is important: Reach larger populations Avoid duplication of effortsMake better use of resourcesDeal more effectively with the issues that face our

communities

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Levels of Partnership

Level 1Networking: The mutual sharing of information between

groups of agencies.

Level 2Coordination: The sharing of information and altering

activities for mutual benefit.

Level 3Cooperation: The sharing of resources and information and

altering activities for mutual benefit.

Level 4Collaboration: The sharing of resources, information, and

altering activities to enhance the ability of other partners for

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History & Evolution of Community-Based Work at ACCESS

2005-2008 Disparate relationships with roughly 100 community

organizations throughout Boston Limited programmatic offerings; typically one-time

introductory workshops presented to large groups Limited tracking of outcomes

2008 ACCESS goes through strategic planning process, identifies

the need to coordinate and collaborate with CBO’s, rather than just be a service-deliverer

2008-2010 Community Partnership Program created and piloted Success Boston created & piloted

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Community Partnership Program: Overview

Fifteen high impact CBOs selected as partners: High quality programming Collaborative organizations, those likely to be

flexible and willing Demographic focus is “on target” Community profile / brand strength Sufficient scale (# of students/families served)

DIRECT DELIVERYOn site workshops1-to-1 advising

CAPACITY BUILDINGProfessional Development & TrainingCurriculum Design & Support

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ACCESS CPP: Key Partners

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Level 2

Level 1

Level 3

Direct Service(1 to 1 Advising, Group Workshop, Data

Tracking)

Organizational Capacity Building

(Staff Training & Curriculum Development)

ACCESS CPP: Program Model

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Example: Steppingstone/ACCESS Partnership

I. Participation in Steppingstone Conferences (October & February)-Access staff will lead a workshop (or 2) at each conference with a

target audience determined by grade level. Sample topics suggested below (taken from draft of ACCESS/West End Partnership Program)

II. Connecting Steppingstone Seniors to ACCESS counselors to complete financial aid forms

-Steppingstone to market and encourage/require Scholars attending ACCESS partner schools to utilize the services of an ACCESS counselor

-How to track whether or not Scholars are utilizing these services?

-Figure out way to connect Scholars that do not currently attend ACCESS partner schools (independent schools, METCO, etc) to ACCESS services

-Have them attend ACCESS “office hours”?

III. Staff Training-Have ACCESS train our Support Services staff to have a basic

understanding of financial in order that they may talk about it intelligently with families. Will refer families to ACCESS for the majority of financial aid related direct services.

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Success Boston: Overview

November 2008 - Getting to the Finish Line: College Enrollment and Graduation released

Key findings include: 64% of the Class of 2000 enrolled in college 35% of the Class of 2000 had graduated by 2007; exclude exam school graduates and

that number drops to 24%.

Mayor Menino announces city-wide college completion initiative and issues challenge to double the college graduation rate for BPS Class of 2011.

“We are proud that Boston sends more graduates to college than just about any city in the country, but we must do more to ensure success once they are there.” - Mayor Thomas C. Menino

Response: November 2008 – PresentTask Force of city-wide leaders created → Nonprofit partners selected → Class of 2009 Pilot recruited and summer programming begins → 2009 pilot cohort begins college, groups involved continue collaboration → Class of 2010 recruitment begins

Student Demographics 59% female 41% male 96% students of color 85% first generation college students 45% at 2 year colleges 55% at 4 year colleges and universities 85% are PELL eligible

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Success Boston: Key Partners

Getting Ready : Boston Public Schools BPS work to ensure that students are academically prepared to succeed in

college. Getting Ready component led Marsha Innis-Mitchell, Director of College Readiness Initiatives.

*Getting In: Transition Organizations Six area nonprofits work together to help students apply for and gain access

to higher education, including applying for financial aid.

Getting Through: Local Colleges and Universities The schools which BPS graduates attend at the highest rates partner to

assure students receive the supports necessary to earn a degree and are prepared to enter the workforce.

2 year: Bunker Hill CC, Roxbury CC, Mass Bay CC, and Benjamin Franklin Institute of Technology

4 year: UMass Boston, Suffolk University, Northeastern, and Salem State University

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Partnership Model

ACCESS isA service provider

We do the “same” things for each organization, although those things may appear slightly different from one group to the next.

FAFSA completion 1 to 1 Financial Pulse Checks with members of the pilot

Distribute “Scholar Dollars” to students in fall and spring semesters

Conduct financial workshops (e.g. budgeting) for partner organizations

A link within the initiative We facilitate the monthly transition organization meetings and

have regular meetings with Boston Public School staff and higher education partners.

Work with all partners to organize cohort-wide events.

Work with all partners to assure that our database is up to date. Work with primary funders to compile reports from that data.

Work with all involved stakeholders to create and distribute regular communication to the students involved.

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Partnership Model

Details Frequency and location of meetings:

Pilot Implementation Group (transition organizations) meets once a month Pilot Planning Group (key partners) meets once a month Location of meeting changes so that all organizations become familiar with each other's neighborhoods, facilities, and missions.

Support within the partnership Professional development at each Pilot Implementation meeting led by a different organization

Support outside the partnership Attend and assist at one another at events (unrelated to SB)

Examples: Freedom House Symposia, College Day at BPS high school, ACCESS’s Center for College Affordability opening

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Preliminary Results

Initiative-WideRetention & Recruitment

96% of cohort returned for 2nd semester Recruitment underway for Class of 2010, high numbers expected

Collaboration Frequent communication between pilot partners New partnerships built and current ones strengthened with area

colleges and universities BPS reveals new college readiness tools – early placement tests,

college tracking tool

ACCESS Helped over 200 students complete their FAFSA Developed multiple new postsecondary workshops (i.e. Your

College Budget) per student and organization needs Built user-friendly “home” for Success Boston data and worked

with SB partners to make it user-friendly and effective. Led coordination efforts of 2 highly successful cohort-wide

student events

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Common Challenges

1.) Communication Breakdown Common with differing organizational cultures and personalities

2.) Privacy Concerns Sensitivity to information about students & families

3.) Reactionary Nature of Our Work Building systems to anticipate the unanticipated

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Strategies for Success

Everyone shares a commitment to a common vision

Put agendas and needs (personal and organizational) out in the open, they do not need to be identical, but should be compatible

Be sensitive to the needs, styles, and limitations of other collaborators

Maintain frequent and open communication

Be sure everyone understands expectations, especially concerning responsibilities and tasks

Sharing of resources and expertise

Building trust for the long haul

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Adam C. ReinkeDirector of Community

Engagement

adamr@accessedu.org

Claire DennisonDirector of Postsecondary

Success

claired@accessedu.org