YPC Member Jamison Brown, YouthServe Board President Elizabeth Goodrich, YPC Member Shanna Liu, APP ED Kristina Scott, YPC Member Caleb Weaver and YouthServe ED Lauren Banks at the YPC grant presentation on Tuesday, May 8.

One of the unique qualities of our Blueprints College Access Initiative is that it is youth-driven.  Nicole Bohannon started the program while a freshman at the University of Alabama, college students deliver services as “near peer” Blueprints mentors, and our program staff serves as “near peer” mentors for both the mentors and the high school students.

It is also youth-funded.  On Tuesday night, the YouthServe Youth Philanthropy Council made a $14,720 grant to Blueprints.

The Youth Philanthropy Council involves young people, ages 15-18, in the learning and giving aspects of philanthropy.  Thanks to the generous support of the Joseph S. Bruno Foundation, the youth have $20,000 which they can use to financially support local nonprofits.

These young philanthropists wrote their own RFP and reviewed the submitted grants.  They did site visits, and were full of interesting questions.  Then they debated which applicants should receive funding.

The Southern Region State Farm Youth Advisory Board previously awarded a $10,000 grant to Blueprints.

YPC Member Shanna Liu, a senior at Vestavia Hills High School who will attend the University of Texas at Austin in the fall, presented the check to us.  She did an incredible job explaining why Blueprints was a good fit for their giving goals.  I asked Shanna to share her remarks, and here they are:

Good evening everyone and thank you for coming to this award ceremony. Tonight, the Youth Philanthropy Council has the privilege of recognizing an extremely deserving organization that not only seeks to improve the Birmingham area but also strives toward bettering humanity.

In 1993, a group of citizens concerned with the level of poverty in Alabama created the Alabama Poverty Project in order to reduce what has descended the state to the third poorest in America. Their mission is to provide leadership in education in order to eliminate poverty. In an effort to accomplish their mission, APP has created the Blueprints College Access Initiative, which is a direct service-learning experience for low-income high school students, giving them the opportunity to receive college access counseling and mentoring from college students. Through Blueprints, students learn about important aspects of the college application process, such as financial aid, career and college options, and interview and resume skills. The Initiative has also assisted students in raising ACT scores by 2 to 3 points, providing results similar to that of nationally recognized preparation programs like Princeton Review and Kaplan. Additionally, students have the opportunity to build relationships with actual colleges, as Blueprints connects high schools with universities and conducts campus tours for the participants. Examples of such significant partnerships include Holt High School with the University of Alabama, Francis Marion High School with Alabama State University, and Woodlawn High School with the University of Alabama at Birmingham.

YPC chose to award the grant to the Blueprints program because not only does it significantly meet all three of our grant-giving criteria – education, elimination of poverty, and focus on youth – but it also fulfills the underlying purpose our entire council: philanthropy. Philanthropy is the active action towards achieving a positive goal, and Ms. Kristina Scott and all of Blueprints’ staff has done everything in their ability to bring that goal into fruition. They are not only driven by their desire for change in Alabama, but they are also motivated by the inspiration of the children they are able to affect, the children whose lives are forever impacted by the program. Many students in these low-income communities do not dream of college nor even realize it as an option. However, Blueprints makes certain that the kids understand their potential and realize that college is both affordable and accessible.

By targeting the foundation of our society, Blueprints and Alabama Poverty Project has carved a path for youth toward better education that can only elevate Alabama for future generations. Thus, in honor of their relentless effort in promoting education and reducing poverty, the Youth Philanthropy Council awards a check in the amount of $14,720 to the Alabama Poverty Project’s Blueprints College Access Initiative. 

We are so pleased to join with Alethia House as recipients of the 2012 Youth Philanthropy Council grant funds.  Thank you to these incredible young leaders.

The job description is posted here and you can find out more about the AmeriCorps*VISTA program here.

Birmingham, AL- The U.S. Department of Education last week unveiled a new tool to help high schools better track how many students are completing federal financial aid forms.

School and local leaders can now track how many students in each high school across the country are submitting and completing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) on the new FAFSA Completion Tool website, http://federalstudentaid.ed.gov/datacenter/fafsahs.html

Only 9,893 out of 49,510 Alabama high school seniors, or 19.98 percent, completed the FAFSA as of March 13, 2012. Previously, high schools estimated their FAFSA completion rate using self-reported surveys, which are typically unreliable.

Research shows a strong correlation between FAFSA completion and college enrollment.

“FAFSA completion helps students and their families access federal and most state financial support, including grants, scholarships, the lowest-cost student loans and work-study opportunities. The federal deadline for completing the FAFSA is June 30; however, many colleges’ priority deadlines have already passed,” said Kristina Scott, Executive Director of the Alabama Poverty Project.

Alabama’s median household income is $9,508 less than the national average. According to the Southern Education Foundation, 60 percent of that gap is due to Alabamians’ low educational attainment. For every dollar earned by individuals with bachelors degrees, high school dropouts only earn 32 cents and high school graduates only earn 51 cents.

College graduates elevate their personal earning capacity and bring nearly $1 million in spending power back to their local communities. Educational attainment is also a key factor in employers’ site location decisions, which in turn can create a healthier economy statewide.

The FAFSA Completion Tool will be updated every two weeks.

About the Alabama Poverty Project (APP):
Alabama is the nation’s third poorest state. Nearly 19 percent of Alabamians – and more than 27 percent of children – live below the poverty line. The Alabama Poverty Project (APP) is a nonprofit resource center that mobilizes Alabamians to reduce poverty via strategic partnerships with higher education institutions, community partners, policymakers and faith-based organizations. Founded in 1993, APP equips Alabamians to increase college access, fight hunger through learning and service, and one day end systemic poverty in Alabama. For more information, visit http://www.alabamapossible.org

WHAT:           Financial Aid/FAFSA Help Night

WHEN:           Tuesday, February 28, 5:30 – 7:30 p.m.

WHERE:       Woodlawn United Methodist Church, 139 54th St N, Birmingham, AL 35212

BIRMINGHAM - Woodlawn High School students and their families will get hands-on help completing the  Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) on Tuesday, February 28, from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. at Woodlawn United Methodist Church.

“The process of applying for and paying for college can seem complicated.  This FAFSA completion event will help students and their family access federal and most state financial support, including grants, scholarships, the lowest-cost student loans and work-study opportunities.  We want to turn Woodlawn students’ college dreams into reality,” said Kristina Scott, director of the Blueprints College Access Initiative.

The Woodlawn FAFSA Help Night is a free program to connect high school seniors and their families complete the FAFSA with expert advice from volunteer financial aid counselors from Birmingham-area postsecondary institutions, including the University of Alabama at Birmingham, Samford University, and Virginia College.

The FAFSA Help Night is co-sponsored by the Woodlawn High School Alumni Coalition, the Blueprints College Access Initiative, and Woodlawn United Methodist Church.

About the Blueprints College Access Initiative:

The Blueprints College Access Initiative equips 21st-century high school students to graduate from high school college- and career-ready by building partnerships with area higher education institutions and community organizations.  Blueprints builds a college-going culture by demystifying the college-going process and connects high school students with an information-rich network of support student coaches and adults who can help them navigate the admissions process.

Blueprints is an initiative of the Alabama Poverty Project.  Alabama has the third-highest poverty rate in the country, and educational attainment and income are closely related.  According to the Census Bureau, college graduates’ median income is $46,931, while the median for workers with a high school diploma is just $27,381.

For more information, visit www.blueprintsalabama.org

###

Dear Friends,

During 2011, faith and individual donors like you contributed $12,964 to the Alabama Poverty Project. That means we are nearly 75 percent of the way to our 2011 goal of $17,500. Thank you!

We are immensely grateful to partners like you.  You inspire us and constantly remind us that, together, we have the power to end poverty and hunger in Alabama.

We hope that you had a chance to join us at one of our programs this year.  The highlights included:

• The  Blueprints College Access Initiative, which worked with 246 students at seven high schools across Alabama. Blueprints increases college access by supporting families in college and career planning, financial aid literacy, and ACT preparation.  Thank you for helping equip students to pursue their college dreams.

• Celebrating the publication of APP Co-Founder  Wayne Flynt‘s memoir, Keeping the Faith: Ordinary People, Extraordinary Lives.  Wayne challenges and inspires us to keep fighting for a more just Alabama. Thank you for helping us keep his flame going.

•  Alabama Possible Community Conversations, which bring together Alabamians to talk about our aspirations for our communities, the barriers we face in achieving those aspirations, and what actions individuals, leaders, and communities can take in turning possibilities into reality. Thank you for helping us listen to the dreams of everyday Alabamians.

• July’s  Tornado Recovery Workshop and September’s  Lifetime of Learning Conference, which brought together students, educators, and community partners to talk about poverty and long-term tornado recovery. Thank you for ensuring that the structural causes of poverty are addressed in rebuilding efforts.

We have just 5 more days to raise $4,536.   Please ensure that we have the resources to continue our work together by making a contribution today.

Thank you,

Kristina Scott

Executive Director

Alabama Poverty Project

Hannah, Kristina and Nicole at the Blueprints table in NCAN’s Best Practices Gallery

Here’s a guest post from Blueprints founder Nicole Bohannon:

Earlier this month, Kristina, Hannah, and I had the opportunity to attend the National College Access Network’s (NCAN) annual conference in St. Louis to share experiences from Blueprints College Access Initiative and learn from other college access providers around the nation.

From breakout sessions sharing best practices for assessment and sustainability to inspiring plenary sessions and networking opportunities, the conference provided for an incredible time of learning and growth that will undoubtedly prove valuable as we work to deepen the relationships with our Blueprints partners and their communities.

During the conference, we also had the privilege of presenting Blueprints at NCAN’s Best Practices Gallery, which focused on best practices in helping diverse student groups access and success in college. We were thrilled to share information about what Blueprints is doing in Alabama with over 600 conference attendees.

One of the most important things we learned was the power of state and local college access networks.  These networks work to get more 21^st century students into and through college, and by leveraging their collective impact they are able to create large-scale social change for student success. Alabama does not currently have a college access network, and that is something we aim to change over the next year.

The NCAN conference was a wonderful learning opportunity, but even more so, a motivator to see the ground we must make up in college attainment in the state of Alabama. Increasing college access is vital to fighting poverty in Alabama, and we couldn’t do it without your help.

Want to learn more about best practices to increase college access?  Some of the conference sessions are posted in the virtual conference section here, and many of the presentation handouts are available here.

Want to get involved with Blueprints? Here’s how:

• Organize college visits with local high school students: email Hannah Selles to get started.
• Become a mentor: connect with Blueprints programs currently underway in Tuscaloosa (at the University of Alabama), Marion (through Judson College), Montevallo (at the University of Montevallo) and Birmingham (with UAB).
• Help cover the costs of materials and staffing with your financial gift.
  

Hannah, Kristina and I recently attended the David Mathews Center’s “Making Community Decisions About Alabama’s Dropout Situation” at Auburn University Montgomery.

I learned that high school dropouts earn $10,000 less a year than high school graduates and $1,000,000 less over a lifetime than those with a bachelors degree.

And 75 percent of all state prison inmates dropped out of high school.

Hannah was there to present our Blueprints College Access Initiative along with our partner University of Montevallo Service-Learning Coordinator Dr. Hollie Cost, and I visited with other community-based programs targeting educational attainment.

Two words stood out throughout the day: engagement and innovation.

Most programs engage others to keep kids in schools. What surprised me was that they all do it differently.

• Some engage students by helping and inspiring them to graduate and go to college, like the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Lee County.
• Others engage parents and equip them to help their child, like First Teachers@home.
• Many engage schools and inspire them to become something better, like Winterboro High School.
• Still others engage entire communities and hold everyone accountable for their public schools, like the Montgomery Education Foundation.

Innovation was also a common theme. The problems facing our schools are not simple, so we must be creative and adapt to a new generation of students.

But for a moment, I doubted if all of this work actually made a difference.

Then Keynote Speaker Dr. Tommy Bice told us that Alabama had the nation’s fourth largest gain in graduation rates between 2002-2008.

This stuff does work.

Blueprints creates a college-positive culture and increases college access by supporting families in college and career planning. It is structured as a service-learning partnership between college students and local high school students. College mentors lead students through a multi-week in-class curriculum to explore career planning, paying for college, preparing to apply and choosing a school.

Above: Students from Woodlawn High School in Birmingham celebrated their Blueprints graduation with a focused campus tour to UAB.

“Three of my students are aspiring doctors now!” said Mrs. Hollis-Davis (pictured above, center). She said she believes Blueprints inspired them to aim high, and she hopes we can continue our partnership next year.

“Blueprints taught me things I didn’t even know about college and financial aid,” said mentor J.T. Moore, a UAB student who has struggled himself to get to college. “I can really relate to these kids.”

One of his students, Jermaine, was the Blueprints valedictorian. He earned the most points for his Blueprints portfolio by completing extra-curricular assignments with the help of his teachers, parents and mentors, and he’s been thinking about career options. “I thought I wanted to be a rapper, but now I also want to be a lawyer,” he said.

Another Woodlawn student, Tiara, wants to be a pediatrician. “Blueprints taught me about a lot of ways to get money to help pay for college!” she said. “My graddad always wanted me to go to UAB, and now I’m really thinking about it.”

Above: Students from Central High School in Tuscaloosa visited the University of Alabama campus with UA student mentors.

Blueprints is a service-learning program. College student mentors reflect on their service experiences through in-class learning and discussion about poverty, opportunity and education.

Lindsey Weiner, a University of Alabama Honors College student, said that the service-learning coursework added meaning to her service experience. “We watched ‘Waiting for Superman’ and talked about education in the classroom. It allowed me to reflect on the challenges facing our students and teachers today.”

Above: Students from Francis-Marion High School toured Alabama State University.

Francis-Marion’s counselor, Mr. McCaa, told us that Blueprints is an important addition to students’ classroom experience, and that getting students to visit a college campus is especially important. Her students were excited about college after spending a day at ASU, where they experienced a Greek Week step show, toured new buildings and visited the National Center for the Study of Civil Rights and African American Culture.

“I’m going to college, for real!” affirmed Francis-Marion junior Jennifer, who says she wants to be a criminal justice and forensics major after watching CSI and Bones. “I wasn’t excited before, but after today, I really think I could do this.”

Another student, Derrick, said he was thinking about going to art school after a Blueprints mentor encouraged his interest in drawing.

Above: Montevallo High School freshmen completed Blueprints and celebrated their graduation on a campus visit to the University of Montevallo.

Christina Morris (pictured above) from Montevallo High School won Blueprints Valedictorian and read her essay about how Blueprints helped her believe that her dream could become reality.

“From the time I was ten years old, it has always been my lifelong dream to become a doctor. At the time, I had no clue where to turn to get the resources I would need to achieve my goal.” Christina said that leadership from teachers and mentors helped her start thinking early about how to achieve her goal.

“You miss 100 percent of the chances you don’t take,” Montevallo mentor Patrick shared with his students, admitting that he knows he could have done better and worked harder in high school. “You don’t want to look back on your life when you get to be my age and ask yourself ‘what if.’”

We were thrilled to offer Blueprints to over 100 Montevallo High School freshman this year for the very first time! As Blueprints continues to grow, we hope to reach even more students at our partner schools.

Thank you to all of our generous donors, community partners, Higher Education partners, schools and teachers who made this year of Blueprints possible!

Blueprints receives foundational support from the Taco Bell Foundation for Teens, Walmart Foundation, Mary Reynolds Babcock Foundation, Independent Presbyterian Church Foundation and BBVA Compass Foundation.

Increasing college access is vital to fighting poverty in Alabama, and we couldn’t do it without your help. Donate now to help keep Blueprints going strong for another year.

Posted by Robyn Hyden

WHO: Students and families at Francis Marion High School

WHAT: Help filling out FAFSA forms and information on ACT test preparation

WHERE: Lottie’s Restaurant

207 Washington Street

Marion, AL 36756

DATE: Thursday, March 31, 2011

TIME: 6 – 7:30 p.m.

MARION – The Alabama Poverty Project’s Blueprints College Access Initiative, Judson College, Teach for America and Sowing Seeds of Hope next Thursday will bring assistance on applying for college and financial aid to students and families at Francis Marion High School.

Presenters from Judson College will explain the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and provide assistance on completing the FAFSA form.  Information about ACT college admissions test preparation will also be available.  Representatives from Blueprints, Judson College Office of Financial Aid and Teach for America will be available to answer questions.

About the Blueprints College Access Initiative:

Blueprints is an eight-week college access program for high school students. Sessions cover topics from financial aid and financial literacy to career assessments, resume building, interview skills and choosing the right college or university. Blueprints creates opportunities for both students and families to engage in the college application process, builds a college-positive culture, provides opportunities for high school students to visit college campuses and equips high school graduates for post-graduation success.

Posted by Robyn Hyden

We talk a lot about how our Blueprints initiative increases college access for low-wealth communities.

Now we want to show you by introducing you to people involved in Blueprints. Students like Justin, an aspiring meteorologist, are learning how they can plan for the future, prepare for graduation, go to college and pursue their dreams.

Watch the video to hear from Justin and other students participating in Blueprints at one high school in Birmingham:

Want to help create a college-positive culture for students in your community?

• Find our Resources on education, mentoring and college access.
• Join in Partnership with the Alabama Poverty Project.
• Give now to help us continue our college access work with students like Justin.

Thank you for your continued support!

Posted by Robyn Hyden