Break the cycle of poverty for low-income students through completion of a post-secondary education

Take Stock in Children (TSIC) has a nearly 25-year history of providing scholarships, mentors and hope to low-income, at-risk students across Florida to build a pathway out of poverty to a college education and economic opportunity. Our evidence-based, best practice model provides a sustainable solution to the most critical problems facing Florida's economically disadvantaged and at-risk children-the lack of educational opportunity and attainment. Department of Education state and national graduation rate data showing that only 67% of low-income children graduate from high school in Florida. This is well below the national graduation rate average of 81%. Only 28% of these students go on to higher education (Education Week, June 2016). This education gap is even larger for minority students. This is the achievement gap we are focused on closing. All TSIC students are low-income, at-risk, and approximately two-thirds of the students enrolled are minorities.

Building on almost 25 years of experience, TSIC has designed a new program to dramatically increase the college completion rate of our graduates within five years. Based on the belief that education is the key to breaking the cycle of poverty, TSIC has demonstrated success and sustainability by delivering life-changing results for low-income students by providing college coaching, mentoring and college scholarships.

Results:
--2,000,000+ volunteer mentor hours, 10,000+ mentors
--96% of our students graduate high school (33% better than the average for at-risk students)
--96% enroll in college (64% better than the average for at-risk students)
--67% complete college (40% better than the average for at-risk students)
An award of $25,000 will help our new "Take Stock in College" program bridge the gap between high school and career by supporting TSIC's 6000+ students attending college throughout Florida through more coaching, student ambassadors, engagement, and technology.

For nearly 25 years, Take Stock in Children (TSIC) has helped over 30,000 low-income, at-risk children across the state of Florida break free from the cycle of poverty through educational attainment and economic prosperity. TSIC provides students with a volunteer adult mentor, a professional College Success Coach, and a Florida Prepaid Scholarship and most recently have expanded our support services through the college years with our Take Stock in College program. These supports help TSIC students build a bridge to postsecondary educational success and ultimately to increased economic opportunity that lasts a lifetime. TSIC services create positive life changes for students that yield decreased college remediation costs, increased private funds for tuition, and increased state tax revenues from higher wages (based on independent national studies). This calculation, based on graduating over 1600 high school students this year, would result in a rate of return of over 1500%!!