1. The above
sponsors have provided the resources that today enables
RFT
to provide an excellent combination of academic and
experiential
programs so we can impact youth through the entire
United States. Thank
you to those who saw the value in RFT's mission and
commitment to
excellence..
2. RFT can use the following resources throughout the
year:
- Funding- the
direct cost for the summer program at a college is
$500 per week but this does not include the
planning, program oversight, adult selection
and training, and academic year activities or the
transportation to and from program sites
- $1,100-
this supports a student for a week for direct
costs- transportation, activities, meals,
lodging, classes
- $6,600-
this supports a "team" of 5 students and 1 adult
for a week
- $40,000-
this supports a "group" of 30 students and 7
adults for a week
- $120,000-
this supports an entire program of 3 groups of
30 students plus 21 adults
- Academic
programs
-
Individual Academic Plan customized for each
student to
allow them to meet state standards and an online
curricula
available 24-7 and tutoring every day online
after school
for homework help- $200 per year
- o Study
Skills workshop and speed reading training to
improve
grades by at least a .5 and more than double
reading speeds
within 60 days- $20 per person (assumes 80
students and 20
adults)
- Ground
transportation- buses and vans to move students to
and
from airports as well as on college campus
- Frequent
flyer miles- these will enable large groups of
students
to travel to colleges during the summer and lower
the total cost
by up to 40%
- Water and
snacks for 13-15 year olds
- First aid
kits/cold packs for athletic injuries
- Sun tan
lotion
- RFT T-shirts-
each student needs 7 for a 5 day program and 10 for
a 7 day program
- Community
service opportunities- each student who applies must
complete at least 25 hours in their community
RFT is pursuing
plans to expand its programs beyond the current scope,
which includes school districts in Alaska; Philadelphia,
PA; Chicago, Illinois; East Chicago, Indiana; San
Diego, California; Montana; Virginia; and the
Washington, DC Metro Area. In order to maximize the
impact of every dollar raised, we make extensive use of
in-kind support
and pursue participation in existing government
programs, which have available matching grants or other
forms of support and assistance.
Private and
corporate sponsorship in particular can have significant
multiplier effects, as we can use such funds and the
support they represent in pursuing matching funds from
other sources.
If you are
interested in becoming an RFT sponsor or partner, please
contact us
mailto:sponsor@reachfortomorrow.org.
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Colleges,
Universities & Military Academies
RFT does not focus
solely on improving grade performance, but also seeks to
show students the relevance and rewards of values such
as integrity, personal excellence, and service to the
community and country.
Though RFT is not
a recruiting program for any branch of the military,
many of RFT's strongest supporters are in military
service academies or branches, among people and
organizations who understand that the work RFT does
grows the pool of potential applicants who meet the
demanding academic and personal requirements of military
service. In return, RFT gains access to the unique and
to many young people, uniquely interesting resources,
installations and individuals that make up the US
military.
To maximize the program's impact, applicants are
selected based on a set of criteria which have been
developed to ensure that the students who are most
likely to benefit are selected for participation in the
program.
These criteria include grades and/or standardized test
results but also teacher recommendations, volunteer or
community service, questionnaires and interviews with
trained RFT volunteers. RFT conducts outreach in
participating school districts throughout the country to
inform students, parents and educators of the benefits
of participation in the program.
RFT Volunteer
RFT
Adult Volunteer Each student is provided with a local
adult volunteer who is trained by RFT to build on this
shared, unique experience. The summer experience is a
critical component of the subsequent academic tutoring
and guidance programs, as this serves as the initial
short-term goal for each student as well as an
opportunity to bond with their Adult Volunteer.
Click here to read the
Volunteer Point of View.
RFT
Distinguished Advisory Board
The function of the Advisory
Board is to expose business, military, and political
leaders to RFT and the respective benefits to every
community.
Mike Bowman. Recently
retired for the U.S. Navy where he served as a Naval
Aviator for more than 35 years. In his last tour of duty
he was an active participant in the RFT program. He
continues to actively support the organization in his
current role as Senior Vice President in charge of
Washington Operations for DRS Technologies Corporation.
Marlin Fitzwater. Former
Press Secretary to Presidents George Bush and Ronald
Reagan, Marlin is currently a media consultant. He is in
demand as an international speaker on domestic and
foreign events. Franklin Pearce College in New Hampshire
recently named their newly constructed communications
center in his honor. Marlin is an advocate of education
and opportunities for students.
Ron Fogleman. Retired USAF
Chief of Staff who currently serves on the Defense
Policy Board and a number of corporate boards. He has
extensive background in operations and strategic
planning both in the military and in the corporate
world. He is the founder of Durango Aerospace, an
international consulting firm specializing in aerospace
and media issues.
Frank Petroski. Senior
Executive with The MITRE Corporation, Frank is currently
the Chief Engineer for Joint and Defense Wide Systems.
Frank works with the Chief Technology Officer at the
Defense Information Systems Agency, performing
technology reconnaissance for the IT infrastructure for
the DOD. Prior to his current assignment, Frank was the
Director for Air Traffic Management, where he worked
with a wide range of international customers including
the governments and airport authorities in Mexico,
Egypt, Spain, Taiwan, Chain, and Japan, as well as
concept development for Air Traffic Management
capabilities in Canada. Frank holds a BS in Mathematics
from Drexel University and an MS in Operations Research,
George Washington University.
Major General Don Shepperd
(USAF, ret.). General Shepperd is a graduate of the USAF
Academy and served as Director of the Air National Guard
before his retirement in 1998. He has an extensive
background in operations and management, which he now
utilizes as a consultant in the Washington, DC- area in
defense related businesses.
The Honorable Walter J.
Stewart. “Joe” Stewart, a native of Florida, arrived
in Washington, DC, as a page to his congressman and
never went home. His distinguished career in public
service includes serving as Secretary of the Senate from
1987-94. Currently he is a partner with Griffin,
Johnson, Dover & Stewart. With quiet dignity, he
supports dozens of causes ranging from historic
preservation of the US Capitol, to shelters for the
homeless, to regional and international theatre and the
arts. Joe resides on Capitol Hill and Lewes, DE.
Mrs. John Tanner. Betty Ann
Tanner is a 1968 graduate of the University of
Tennessee’s School of Design. In Washington, she
oversees marketing and design for Shenandoah Shutters.
An active community volunteer, she serves as President
of the International Club, a member of the Board of
Trustees of Ford’s Theatre, and the National Children’s
Alliance. Mrs. Tanner and her husband divide their time
between Washington, where John serves as a member of the
United States House of Representatives, and their home
in Tennessee.
Alma Viator. Alma is
president of Alma Viator & Associates, a public
relations firm located in DC and operating in New York,
DC and LA. She is associated with Shubert Theatres,
credited with opening the longest-running hit show on
Broadway, “CATS.” In addition to representing
high-profile, internationally-known clients, Alma is
married to former two-term Congressman from Georgia, Ben
Jones. Together they manage “Cooter’s Garage” in Sperryville, VA, named after Ben’s stint as “Cooter” on
the television series “Dukes of Hazzard.” In 1998, Alma
was named by Washingtonian Magazine as one of
Washington’s 100 Most Powerful Women. She is also one of
its most generous.
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Board of
Directors
RFT is
currently managed by the Chairman of the
Board and Founder, supplemented by the
Board of Directors. RFT’s strategic plan
recommends a full time Executive
Director to manage operations and a
Summer Programs Director. The Board of
Directors is comprised of individuals
responsible for fiscal and
administrative management, guided by an
Advisory Board of business and
government leaders
Peter K.
Underwood is the Founder and
Chairman of the Board of RFT. A pilot
with American Airlines since 1988, he
co-founded EIC Information Technologies,
Inc., a small company that has developed
innovative and proprietary instruments
to measure liquid level in petrochemical
tanks. Mr. Underwood is a 1973 graduate
of the USAF Academy and a retired Lt.
Colonel in the USAF Reserve where he
interviewed prospective candidates for
USAFA.
Dennis Rowe
is a senior manager in charge of FAA
airspace projects at Mitre Corporation
and an RFT program manager for the 2000
USMMA program in Prince William County.
Dennis received his Ph.D. in Computer
Science in 1999 and developed all the
testing and evaluation programs for RFT.
Melinda
Fitzwater is a retired manager with
the Boeing Company, and McDonald Douglas
Corporation, where she directed their
philanthropy programs in Washington.
With a bachelors and masters degree in
education, Melinda taught for several
years in the Virgin Islands and Atlanta,
with a focus on students of special
interest to RFT programs. She served in
the White House under President Ronald
Reagan from l980 to l988, and was a
public relations executive with the
Susan Davis Companies for five years.
She was a member of the U.S. election
observer team in Mexico, and has been an
RFT Board Member since its inception.
Beth
James moved from Washington, D.C.,
to Southwest Florida in 2001 following a
successful career in the non-profit
arena, which included Ford's Theatre and
The Direct Selling Association
Foundation. Her consulting company, The
James Group, collaborated on a variety
of special events and stragetic planning
with The Tall Ships, Museum for the
Arts, Reach for Tomorrow, Viator and
Associates, and Gillroy and Associates.
Continuing her non-profit
involvement, Beth is a sought-after civic and community
volunteer. She is a fundraiser for various political
campaigns and was appointed as a member of the Art in
Public Places Committee for the City of Bonita Springs
and the Special Events Committe for the City by the
Mayor and City Council.
She is an active advocate
on behalf of the humane treatment of animals and
actively volunteers on behalf of GREY2K, a greyhound
advocacy protection organization.
She began her real estate
career in Nashville, TN, earning her broker's license
and working in both residental and investment real
estate. For 6 years, she affiliated with one of the
largest investment companies in the SE, where she was a
member of the on-site condominium conversion teams in
Cincinnatti and Columbus, OH., Atlanta, GA, Charlotte,
NC, Chattanooga, Nashville, Memphis, TN, and
Indianapolis, IN. During her tenure, her skills were
utilized as a sales consultant, interior designer for
the model units, property management and condominuim
board member.
In Naples, FL, Beth is a
multi-million dollar producer with Tithe and More Real
Estate Company. She is recognized as a top-producer by
the Board of Realtors, and in 2006, she was recognized
in Gulf Shore Magazine for Five-Star Customer Service..
Idora (Idy)
Marcus is the founding principal of
Equimark RESOLVE., a company providing
solutions, through advice and
consulting, to new clients seeking help
with complex strategic positioning and
access issues. Ms. Marcus has a proven
track record of business development,
relationship building, and community
outreach as was exhibited during the
1999 NATO Summit. Formerly, Idy served
as Director of Corporate Development and
Special Programs and Spokesperson at the
U.S. Navy Memorial in Washington, DC. In
addition, she orchestrated publicity for
a speakers' series at the Kennedy Center
featuring world leaders and well-known
celebrities such as Mikhail Gorbachev
and Oprah Winfrey. While working with
Horton Associates representing The
Alliance of Motion Picture and
Television Producers, Ms. Marcus
coordinated numerous government,
corporate relations, and production
projects supporting the television and
motion picture industries. Some of the
projects she worked on include: The Hunt
for Red October, Clear and Present
Danger, Patriot Games, Biloxi Blues,
Magnum PI, and The Tuskegee Airmen.
Throughout her career Idy has devoted
thousands of hours on boards and
committees utilizing her strategic
planning and positioning expertise for
organizations such as the Washington
Performing Arts Society and the National
Museum of Women in the Arts. Idy has
been a volunteer with RFT since 1999 and
a board member since 2003.
Mary S. Gordon
Vice President,
Global Government Relations,
Congressional Affairs
Nortel. Mary Gordon is Vice President,
Global Government Relations for Nortel,
one of the world's largest suppliers of
digital network solutions and most
broadly diversified developers of high
capacity switching and optics
technology. She is responsible for
developing and promoting the company’s
positions before the U.S. Congress and
developing, working with executives
throughout the company, political
strategies aimed at enacting good
policies that ensure favorable growth
for Nortel and its customers.
Legislative issues on her agenda include
telecommunications, trade and taxes.
Gordon serves on
the Advisory Committee for the Capitol
Historical Society, and is on the Board
of Directors for the Digital Dialogue
and the Homeland Security Digital Forum.
She is a founding member of the informal
Blue Dog Business Coalition and is
active in business organizations from
the States of North Carolina and Texas
whose members have an interest in
Congressional policy.
Prior to joining
Nortel Networks in 1982, Gordon edited a
major self-help book, People
Power: What Communities Are Doing to
Counter Inflation, for the White
House Office of Consumer Affairs. She
also covered Congress as a reporter for
Neuhouse News Services.
Gordon served as
legislative assistant to the late
Senator Clinton P. Anderson (D-NM) where
she handled matters relating to the
Senate Interior Committee.
Gordon received a
Master's in Journalism and Public
Affairs from American University and a
Bachelor's of Business Administration
from the University of New Mexico.
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Chairman
 Peter
K. Underwood, RFT's founder and chairman, is an active
commercial pilot. Since 1998 he has flown for American
Airlines out of Washington D.C. and for about 10 years
before that flew for Eastern Airlines out of both
Washington and New York. He has lived in suburban
Washington D.C. with his wife since 1980; they have two
grown children.
Underwood is an Air Force veteran who received his B.S.
from the USAF Academy in 1973 and graduated first (a
"Distinguished Graduate") in pilot training class
75-01/02 at Vance AFB in 1974. He served active duty as
an F-4 pilot in the 78th Tactical Fighter Squadron at
RAF Bentwaters, UK from 1975 to 1978, and at Fort Ord,
California from 1978 to 1979. He was promoted to
Lieutenant Colonel in the Reserve in 1993. In 1998 he
completed the USAF Air War College. He retired from the
active Reserves in 2000 to concentrate on the Reach for
Tomorrow program.
Underwood served as the elected Washington Vice Chairman
of the Allied Pilots Association, the union serving over
10,000 pilots for American Airlines, from 1993-1995. He
helped establish a federal credit union for the pilots
of American Airlines and their families (which grew to
over $60 million in assets in its first four years) and
served on the credit union Board of Directors from 1994
to 1996. As a board member of the Allied Pilots
Association he developed and implemented a disaster
relief effort for south Florida following Hurricane
Andrew which airlifted over 35 tons of food, water, and
supplies within three days to the disaster victims.
From 1981 until 2000 Underwood served as an Air Force
Academy Liaison Officer, giving him the opportunity to
interview hundreds of students throughout the
Washington, D.C. area. During this time he also
developed an exercise program for applicants which was
published by the USAF Academy for its 1900 Liaison
Officers worldwide and which is currently in use at the
Marion Military Academy. He was named Outstanding
Liaison Officer for the Northeast Region by the USAF
Academy in 1992 and Air Liaison Officer of the Nation in
1998. For his work with youth and the USAF he was
awarded a second Meritorious Service Medal in 1998.
The
experiences and insights gained from this involvement
led Underwood to undertake a comprehensive review of why
most youth wait until nearly the end of their high
school experience to properly prepare for college. It
became clear to him that many if not most of the
qualities that make a good Air Force candidate are also
applicable for general academic, professional, and
personal success. He founded Reach for Tomorrow in 1993
and continues to guide the program today.
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The RFT
Student
The program
targets rising high school freshmen (generally, eighth
graders) who have the capacity to excel in school but
whose current grades or scholastic achievement do not
reflect this potential.
This strategy is
based on the observation that the pre- and early high
school years are critical years in a young person's life
that frequently determine their academic future and life
opportunities, but that all too often students who may
have been enthusiastic, above average performers in
school up to this point lose their interest in school,
resulting in poor academic performance which never
recovers.
RFT aims to
intervene during these critical years to help a student
maintain his or her enthusiasm for and momentum towards
academic and personal excellence, first by giving the
student a first hand look at the interesting and
enjoyable opportunities that good grades in high school
can open up for them, and then by helping them reach
these goals throughout their high school years and into
the college or academy application process.
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