C O LL E G E A CC ESS IS ONLY A DREAM AWAY
TURNING DREAMS INTO REALITY, ONE STUDENT AT A TIME
WELCOME
To our current Embrace Your Future (EYF) Family and Soon -to-be-Family:‘ We welcome you to our dream team! It is an undeniable truth that having efficient college access is pivotal to college and career success. Unfortunately, a large sector of students do not receive adequate college access opportunities in low income communities to be fully capable and able to achieve their desired dreams. Studies have found that when students were asked of their preference to attend a university or collegiate institution, 95% of those asked in low income communities agreed they would like to attend college. However, only 10% of low income students are able to earn a college degree at some point in their lives with the resources they have access to. At EYF we hope to bridge that gap and provide the tools, resources, and support necessary to ensure that each of our students is able to embrace their desired futures. EYF envisions a world in which every student is confident and empowered to reach his or her full potential starting with admission to college. That’s why EYF is committed to reaching every student in need in our immediate communities. By instilling values of Leadership, Accountability, Honesty, Civic Duty, and tools to reach Happiness we work to students into the best versions of themselves in the classroom, in their communities, and wherever they may pursue their dreams and futures. We are grateful to you for your comitted support, interest, and trust in maximizing students’ success. Please take a moment to vist our site at eyfuture.org to find out how to become a community sponsor, partner, or mentor. Thank you from all of us at the EYF headquarters; changing one future at a time-one dream at a time. EYF TEAM
WHO ARE WE ?
Embrace Your Future! Embrace your Future (EYF) is an initiative that grew out of
the work of the Embrace Relief Foundation, which provides relief programs within the United States and abroad. Embrace Relief’s “Relieving Poverty Through Education” focuses on bringing educational resources to students who need it the most. Embrace Your Future (EYF) is a comprehensive academic advising and college counseling program for at-risk high school students, low income students, underserved minorities, and students who are the “first generation” to attend university. EYF works with students and families to empower them with the tools they need to be confident college-bound students.
Mission: EYF believes that every student deserves the opportunity to attend college. EYF works to increase college acceptance rates for at-risk students by offering an array of comprehensive supportive services that enable each student to thrive academically and meet his or her full potential.
Vision: EYF envisions a world in which every student is confident and empowered to reach his or her full potential starting with admission to college.
OUR TEAM
Committed Program Directors: The program directors at EYF aim to facilitate effective and productive programming for both our student participants and their mentors. Program directors are experienced in student program facilitation and educational enrichment for both exemplary students and students who are situated in areas statistically shown to have low high school performances as well as accompanied by low college retention rates.
Exemplary Volunteer Mentors: EYF student mentors are selected from an array of applicants which are affiliated with, or are, students from various high performance universities in the Houston area. Volunteer mentors typically show an aptitude for both academic excellence and community enrichment. Volunteer mentors are expected to display an interest in forming long-term mentor-mentee relationships with students and a regular weekly commitment. Additionally EYF mentors possess leadership skills, team building capabilities, and social skills qualities that allow for a lasting relationship assembly. EYF volunteer mentors are expected to report to program directors and guide student participants through their EYF experience.
Passionate Students: EYF program participants are selected through a competitive application process. They are students that display academic proficiencies, abilities, and strengths who could be further enhanced through participation with EYF. EYF students are expected to attend all EYF sessions and programming. EYF students are expected to work with their volunteer mentors in order to complete program tasks and goals.
OUR VALUES EYF strives to instill leadership, success, and quality within all of our student participants and accompanying volunteer mentors by maintaining a set of core values.
Leadership:
We aim to assist students in establishing leadership skills by embracing their natural skill sets while building upon them in order to create long term confidence, guidance, and professional mobility.
Accountability:
We insist that students understand and maintain a sense of responsibility and accountability for their successes and setbacks as they mature into young adults on their journey to academic success. Doing so allows for continual and consisted individual assessment and improvement.
Honesty: We expect students to be
honest with themselves, their mentors, and their program directors in order to effectively achieve their desired academic success. From honest progress students can achieve all they wish to as long as they set goals and embrace their future.
Civic Duty:
A well-set goal is one that benefits others just as much as the individual. At EYF we encourage students to remain engaged with their communities and urge them to serve others in the manners in which they are able. A strong relationship with community fosters dialogue and beneficial social enrichment.
Excellence:
EYF is confident in the ability for every student to achieve academic excellence. We expect all of our students to strive for the highest excellence possible and to seek out the assistance and guidance of mentors when needed.
Happiness:
Happiness is at the core of every value we aim to instill lin EYF students. By embracing goals, missions, and dreams that students seek most interest in, they are able to embrace their full capacity to be happy which is the epitome of a well fulfilled life.
THE CHALLENGES THAT DRIVE US
1
NINETY-NINE percent of the newest job market seek applicants with advanced education or degrees.
2 Is it a statistical fact that the workers of
today’s job force who hold a college degree experience greater job stability in the long term.
College Graduates 3.8%
3 The unemployment rate for
High School Graduates 12.2%
college graduates is 3.8% and the unemployment rate for high school graduates is 12.2% within the same age pool.
4
If a student completes at least a bachelor’s degree, their earning in the span of a lifetime can increase by $1 million.
5 The published recommendation for
student-to-counselor ratio is 250 students to 1 counselor. The American School Counselor Association cites the national average to be 491 students to 1 counselor. EYF will aim to bridge that gap in the schools we work in throughout the academic year.
OUR APPROACH
ACADEMIC ADVISING SUPPORT ACADEMIC ADVISING SUPPORT
C2 C2 + +
A2 A2 COLLEGE ACCESS COLLEGE ACCESS
STUDENT SUCCESS LIFE STUDENT SUCCESS LIFE
S2 S2
COLLEGE AND CAREER GUIDANCE COLLEGE AND CAREER GUIDANCE
+ +
= =
EYF strives to improve the academic success of student participants through the implementation of effective and comprehensive college and career counselling programs in the following aspects.
Academic Advising & Support (A2): EYF understands that the establishment of effective and productive academic skills is essential to long term student success. Providing students access to efficient tools and resources combined with experienced mentor guidance is at the core of student success.
Tutoring & Homework Help:
EYF recognizes the need for in academic success in order to achieve college access and will provide students with the necessary tutoring and assistance. Volunteer mentors are equipped and ready to provide hands-on, one on one, and tutoring to students who display or request a need for further assistance with any academic coursework. EYF aims to strengthen student performance in areas of Math, Science, English, and Writing.
Test Prep:
EYF recognizes the necessity for high performance in state mandated standardized testing in order for students to achieve successful high school completion. High performance on state mandated and university requested exams allow for students to gain increased access to college through yearly financial support such as scholarships and grants. Additionally, EYF encourages and guides student participants in the practice of excelling, and completing of all primary and secondary college entrance performance exams. The State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness (STAAR) PSAT 8/9 Test Prep PSAT/NSMQT & PSAT 10 Test Prep ACT & SAT Test Prep
Student Success Life (S2): EYF aims to promote student community involvement at an early stage with student participants. This is done through regular community service projects, community volunteer opportunities, and community outreach. The creation of long term success for students is accompanied by community conscious behaviors and relationships within each student with his or her immediate community. University admissions boards have been shown to display interest in students who are able to set aside time to engage with their communities and commit to long term engagements.
Parent Involvement:
Student success is positively correlated with at-home support and guidance. EYF is committed to ensuring every student’s maximum potential is put to use. This is why we highly encourage parental and guardian to get involved in the child’s education. We encourage parents to contact mentors, directors, and their students with any questions, concerns, and forms of encouragement. We recommend the frequent communication with school personnel and EYF staff. Most importantly we strongly encourage parents to assist their students to realize the full potential of their untapped skills and knowledge. Without a supportive environment, great talent and work ethic can go unused. Help us help your student embrace their dreams by partnering together on their road to success.
Summer Immersion Camp:
EYF hosts a yearly summer immersion program for students in which year long program features are highlighted and introduced. Students will meet with mentors and program directors at a non-campus designated camp facility for EYF camp programs. Students will engage in academic programming aimed at targeting challenges in upcoming standardized testing, community engagement, and leadership workshops. This program will typically take place for weekly intervals and will feature team building and identity building activities. Although, acceptance into the summer program does not guarantee definitive acceptance to EYF’s academic year long program.
College and Career Guidance(C2): EYF is committed to maximizing the long-term professional and developmental careers of our students. In doing so, requires first identifying potential career interests based on skill sets and affinities the interests of each student. Secondly, we aim to identify college matches and realistic university options for our students in order to establish a long term plan for successful admission, enrollment, and graduation thus maximizing their college access and eventual college success. • Career Aptitude and Interest Testing • University Matching • Admission Application Guidance and Counseling • University Enrollment Assistance • Scholarships and Financial Aid Assistance
FOR THE STUDENTS Student’s within the EYF programs will have access to furthered insight on interested careers, professional development and guidance.
Our students are expected to maintain EYF program attendance and commitments while utilizing EYF resources to accomplish their college access dreams.�
Students will be able to build their resume.
Students will be contribute to part of their community through volunteer opportunities.
Students will have an insight to what college life will be like.
FOR THE MENTORS
Mentors are a pivotal aspect of the success of each year of EYF programming.
Students will look up to you as role models; you are the epitome of college access and success.
Mentors will: • Build Leadership Skills • Build Team Building Skills • Build on Professional Networking and Experience
PARENT ORGANIZATION
IMPACT
FINANCIALS
www.eyfuture.org