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Young Scholars Challenge Grant Ends Dec. 1
Mele Family Fund of The Community Foundation Offers Grant
Written By Kevin Montano '16, PR Intern
Young Scholars have helped many; donations to be matched through Dec. 1
Contact - cleogrande@utica.edu
Utica, NY (11/24/2014) - In the Utica City School District poverty isn’t just a passing problem, it’s a harsh reality affecting much of the student body. The district is the poorest of 455 districts in Upstate N.Y. with a poverty rate of nearly 44 percent according to a 2012 report. In addition, 80 percent of the students qualify for free or reduced-price lunches.Many of these students are at high risk of failing or dropping out of school altogether, and a college education just isn’t on the radar for them. Utica College’s Young Scholars Liberty Partnership Program (YSLPP) has been working to change that. Utica is home to a large refugee population and the make up of the Utica City School District is incredibly diverse. But, with 15 percent of students having limited proficiency in English, the needs of the diverse student body can be a drain on school resources.
Founded in 1993 as a partnership between the Utica City School District and Utica College, the program seeks to help students achieve and succeed in middle school, high school, and beyond. YSLPP works with a carefully selected group of students in grades seven through 12 who have the potential for success but may not achieve their full potential due to various social or economic factors. Young Scholars helps students through academic support, mentoring and tutoring throughout the school year as well as year-round counseling services. Students in the program agree, YSLPP pushes them to achieve and helps to keep them on a path to success.
“Young Scholars has helped guide me on the path to college,” said Malainah Elliot, a junior at Proctor High School. The tutoring and review sessions also have direct results on students regents exam test scores as 87 percent of YSLPP graduates earned an advanced regents diploma. “You make connections with other people; Young Scholars has exposed me to a more diverse group of individuals,” said Besim Disdaaruic, a junior at Proctor High School. YSLPP also provides students with mentors and offers a summer program to students on the Utica College Campus. One of those mentors is Elliot Coleman, a sophomore at Utica College who was a Young Scholar himself. “Without Young Scholars, I wouldn’t be where I am today,” Coleman said. “I’ve seen changes in myself after going through the Young Scholars program. The staff mentors you and they are like a second family.” Young Scholars works directly with students in their schools, a staffed resources room is available at each site to assist them on a daily basis. Desiree Brown, a freshman at Proctor, the program has helped her become more mature. “The staff treats you as an equal and they hold you responsible for your actions both in the classroom and outside of it,” said Brown.
In addition, field trips, community service and enrichment opportunities help students to become well-rounded individuals. “We had 20 students go on college visits with us on Veterans Day,” said Ben Atwood, the Proctor Site Supervisor for YSLPP. “Also, a total of 103 Young Scholars from our three sites participated in the Breast Cancer Awareness Walk in October.”
Providing such an enriching program to students does come at a cost, approximately $1800 per student each year. But the results achieved by students who participate in the program are well worth the expense. These students are not only more likely to graduate but also perform better overall. In 2013, 91 percent of Young Scholars graduated from high school, compared to only 67 percent of Proctor High School students overall. Also, only 19 percent of Proctor graduates earned an advanced regents diplomas in 2013 while 35 percent of YSLPP graduates earned the advanced designation.
Young Scholars LPP is funded in part through grants from the New York State Department of Education Liberty Partnership Program. Additional funds have been provided by numerous organizations and individuals, including The Community Foundation of Herkimer and Oneida Counties, Inc. These funds help to not only pay for the staff and resources at each site, but for additional programs. One of those grants comes from the Mele Family Fund, a donor-advised fund of The Community Foundation of Herkimer and Oneida Counties.
Between now and Dec. 1, all new donations to the Young Scholars LPP will be matched, dollar for dollar, by The Mele Family Fund. This challenge grant will match up to a total of $50,000. This is an opportunity for a donation to have double the impact in helping to support a program that has helped so many. To donate, visit utica.edu/donate on or before Dec. 1, 2014 and select "Young Scholars Mele Challenge" under the “apply donation to” menu.
About Utica College – Utica College, founded in 1946, is a comprehensive private institution offering bachelors, masters and doctoral degrees. The College, located in upstate central New York, approximately 90 miles west of Albany and 50 miles east of Syracuse, currently enrolls over 4,000 students in 36 undergraduate majors, 27 minors, 21 graduate programs and a number of pre-professional and special programs.
