Program Details
Partners Program
Enrichment & Access
College Preparatory School
For more than a quarter-century, the Partners Program at College Prep has provided opportunities for academic support and enrichment for motivated yet under-resourced Oakland middle school students and their families.
College Prep students work with low-income Oakland public middle school students and their families year-round, on their middle school campuses during the academic year and at College Prep during the summer. The goals are two-fold:
1. To provide opportunities for those who seek them – for academic help, for enrichment activities, and for leadership development – free of charge to students and families who lack the resources to purchase such support elsewhere.
2. To operate programs that produce significant outcomes – improved grades, increased school engagement, understanding of community responsibilities – access to high quality college preparatory high school and non-profit support programs, and admission to post-secondary educational opportunities with the needed scholarships and financial aid.
Research shows that graduation rates from a four-year college for students like those who participate in Partners, students from low-income, racially and ethnically diverse households and attending urban public schools, is perilously low, hovering around 6 - 8%. For young men, the figures are between 3-4%.
In sharp contrast to this data, Partners alumni report graduating high school on time (98%), matriculating to post-secondary education (95% of high school graduates), and persisting through these studies (100% of post-secondary matriculants).