The Education Foundation of Alachua County’s Take Stock in Children Program has received Gold Level Status from the state for the sixth year in a row with a perfect score this year.
Take Stock served 387 students during the 2018-2019 school year in Alachua County. These students met with a college success coach once a semester, and with a volunteer mentor at least twice per month at the students’ school. The program inducted 71 new students during the school year. Students are recruited in grades 7 through 9 and are required to maintain a 2.5 GPA or higher, maintain positive behavior and stay drug and crime free throughout their time in the program. Students also receive college readiness skills training. During the 2018-2019 school year the Alachua program’s staff along with collaborating community organizations, hosted 23 workshops including college tours, educational workshops, a wellness day and career assessments.
The students stay in the program until they graduate from high school. This year, 70 seniors received Take Stock in Children Florida Prepaid Scholarships from The Education Foundation totaling $560,000.
“Our whole team works really hard each year to ensure we are providing our students with the best services. Each one of us is dedicated to seeing the students succeed not only in high school but through college and into their careers,” said Tia Brock, Director of Programs at the Foundation.” We could not run our program at this level of excellence if it was not for the dedication of our volunteer mentors, board and an amazing community supporting our cause.”
Take Stock in Children is a statewide organization that breaks the cycle of poverty by providing an educational pathway for low-income, under-served students across the state resulting in a 96 percent graduation rate. This success is achieved through an innovative multi-year program with a model of mentoring, meetings with college success coaches, and college readiness training.
In order to receive Gold Level status and the maximum amount of Florida legislative funding, affiliate programs must exceed in each one of the Key Performance Indicators (KPI) measures listed above. The Alachua County program will receive The Gold Award for Program Excellence for the 6th year in a row at the Take Stock in Children College and Career Conference on September 26, 2019 at the Daytona International Speedway.
It takes a mentor to make a difference in the life of a child. Nineteen Take Stock students are currently in need of mentor before the 2019-2020 school year starts. You can help a student achieve his or her dreams of going to college by becoming a mentor today. Please visit https://edfoundationac.org/mentors/
