During the 2015-2016 school year, Young Voices formally partnered with Providence College and Rhode Island Campus Compact to begin developing and implementing an in-house college access program. A few highlights include the following:
1. Piloting a near-peer mentor program where current high school seniors are matched with YV alumni who help guide the seniors through the college process
2. Facilitating a series of Senior Meetings hosted at Providence College
3. Providing individualized support for writing & editing college essays and finding & applying to scholarships
4. Developing a partnership with Brown University SAT Prep and offering a free eight week SAT prep course for YV juniors
Young Voices is excited to build on this work and to continue deepening partnerships with colleges, universities and programs to improve college access and persistence for all of our students. Below are data sets from our college access report.
Providence College conducted two independent, outside evaluations about the impact of Young Voices on youth’s lives. Their studies show that “Young Voices provides a powerful and important learning environment…Young Voices creates a safe and supportive space for learning and social skills development. Highly successful Young Voices alumni, who are beginning professional careers or attending selective universities, attribute many of their strengths to capacities systematically developed in the program. Again, the emphasis on social skills, networking, interpersonal communication, and speaking publicly was a powerful theme.”
The following are the findings from their report:
