3 Things to Look Forward to in 2019

Posted January 27, 2019

2018 was a huge year of growth for us at the Richmond Promise. We welcomed a new cohort of over 400 Scholars, expanded our middle school college awareness programming, and deepened our college partnerships to support our Scholars’ success. Looking ahead, this year is going to be big for students in Richmond as we prepare to welcome our fourth class of Scholars into the Richmond Promise family.

Here are just 3 of the things we are most excited for in 2019:

1) Financial Aid Completion Initiative

College affordability is core to our mission. That’s why this month, we are kicking off our new Financial Aid Completion Initiative with Kennedy and De Anza High Schools. Our goal is to work with students to complete FAFSA, Dream Act, and Richmond Promise applications over a 4-class series by the Cal Grant Deadline of March 2! This program is classroom based to ensure all students are accessing all the state and federal money for college that they are entitled to. We have hired 12 amazing Richmond Promise College Scholars as part-time Near-Peer Ambassadors to help us deliver this curriculum at both De Anza and Kennedy High Schools.

2) Welcoming our fourth cohort of new Richmond Promise Scholars

Our Scholarship application is live – and due March 8! We will be welcoming our fourth cohort of College Scholars this May at our annual Scholar Celebration – save the date for May 3 (more details to come!). Our Scholarship can be used at any not-for-profit 2-year, 4-year or career technical school nationwide, and can go towards the full cost of school – including tuition, books, housing, and transportation. Beyond the dollars, we will be working closely with these Scholars through the summer months to ensure a successful and strong college start, and connect them with campus resources for college success. We are so excited to grow the Richmond Promise family to over 1000 Scholars, and work with Richmond’s class of 2019 to ensure their success!

3) Career Mentorship Program

Our Scholars asked, and we responded. This year, we are piloting a Career Mentorship Initiative with a cohort of 40 Scholars and Community Mentors. We recruited an incredible group of Richmond movers and shakers to match with our Scholars and participate in one-on-one mentoring focused on career readiness. Our mission goes beyond college completion – we are here to ensure our Scholars can define and own their future in a field of their choice. We are excited to see this initiative grow to reach more Scholars and engage the community members with a desire to support a Richmond Promise Scholar. We are excited to see these mentorship relationships grow!

These are just 3 things we are looking forward to in 2019. To stay in the loop and support on our work this year, sign up for our e-mail newsletter below and follow us on twitter, facebook, and instagram!