Reach For Tomorrow

An Opportunity for All Youth

page1

 

What does RFT do?

• Mission

To improve the three A's of academic - Attitude, Attendance, and Achievement ' in rising high school youth to increase the size of the qualified applicant pool for competitive colleges, universities, and professional careers.

• RFT Uses Existing Public and Private Resources to:

Inspire "at risk" youth
Empower local adults to complement the efforts of parents and schools
Inform young people about higher education and training opportunities
Use a service academy or college experience to help students set academic and professional goals for the future

• RFT provides Real World Instruction in "High School Relevancy 101":

Raises the bar for all students early in their academic career
Eliminates excuses for failure by providing access to live and on-line academic enhancement tools
Encourages students to make wise choices and develop a plan of action for future success

page2

BACK TO TOP

What is Reach for Tomorrow (RFT)

• Established in 1993 as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization

• Helps at-risk youth identify and establish goals attainable through education

• Acknowledges that children can lose focus and motivation in early-teen years and fail to excel academically

• Involves adult volunteer mentors, teachers, and summer science seminars at leading colleges and universities, military academies, and federal facilities

• A value-added strategy to complement existing Community Based Organizations (CBOs)

• Targets middle of the academic curve youth as they start high school

• Motivates adults to get involved in their community through measurable academic and personal improvement within the student cohort

page3

BACK TO TOP

Partnership

• Colleges, Universities, and Military Academies

  • Base facilities and colleges provide cost effective lodging, meals and educational resources

  • Military academy students provide outstanding role models for youth

• Reach for  Tomorrow

  • 501C(3) nonprofit with a 12 year track record- Organization and Leadership

  • Mentoring and summer science enrichment seminars compliments existing youth activities

  • Measurable improvement of Attitude, Attendance, Achievement

  • Actively engages youth and adults in a mentoring environment

  • Low Cost/High Impact return on human and financial investment

  • 3 Year intervention strategy

• Community

  • Caring adults and motivated students

  • Educational system support

  • Financial resources

  page4
   

  ---

  BACK TO TOP

  RFT Modules

   
• K-12 Academic Curricula: www.extralearning.org
  • Individualized, online academic support
  • Extra learning compliments local curricula
  • E-books, online testing, CDs and Video lessons provided and available
  • A viable alternative to attending summer school
• Daily Online Tutoring: www.tutor.com    
  • Live tutor after school, on-line
  • Difficult homework and academic concepts are reviewed with skilled educators
• Test Taking, Study Skills, Reading Improvement
  • Administered by former USAF Academy Prep School instructor
  • Triple reading speeds within 60 days with 90% comprehension
  • One letter grade improvement (following techniques) is expected
• Pre-SAT/ACT Training
  • Administered by local teachers trained in the Thompson-Peterson's "Get Wise" Program
  • 18 hours classroom instruction
• RFT Summer Programs
  • College Immersion
  • The projected outcome for students is academic excellence and attitude improvement

page5

BACK TO TOP

Strategy

Phase One-Middle School Start

• Target Selected Schools

  • 7th graders matched with mentors

  • Visit local bases/colleges during academic year and summer

  • Extra learning curricula and daily tutoring

  • Study skills, reading, and testing preparation

• 8th Grade Challenge

  • Community service completed during academic year

  • Teams selected for summer experience outside local area

  • Thompson-Peterson's Pre-SAT/ACT Prep Program

• Summer Program- Outcome for the Academic Year

  • Military academy, college, or university immersion

    • Hands on, engaging, high impact

    • Opportunities to bond with adult mentors

page6

BACK TO TOP

Strategy

Phase Two-Middle School Start

• Team Leaders - Advisors

  • E-mentoring-resumes, grades, attendance, longitudinal evaluation

  • Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery (ASVAB) - all students in school system

  • RFT student brief 7th and 8th graders

  • SAT Prep Course

  • On-line academic enrichment and remediation

• Follow Up Summer Experience - 9th - 11th graders

  • Military base, college, or university immersion

  • College preparation and admissions

  • Scholarship and college financing resource identification

page7

BACK TO TOP

Outcomes

Post Summer Program Outcomes

- Adult team leaders responsibilities

• Track attendance

• Track grades twice a grading period and contact youth who earn below a B at any grading advisory

• Insure all students develop resume

• Insure all students take an SAT prep course in 9th and 10th grades

• Insure all students take the PSAT in 9th and 10th grades

- 8 Contact Minimum per year through the start of 11th grade

• Phone

• Email

• Organized activities

page8

BACK TO TOP

National Objectives

page9

BACK TO TOP

RFT Timeline for Success

page10

BACK TO TOP

Gear Up

Phase One-Middle School Start

• Summer Seminar in 2005

  • Cost - $1100/person for the summer experience - inclusive

    • Meals, loding, transportation, college labs, activities for one week

• Extralearning and daily tutoring - Online

  • Cost $400 for 200 for 12 months or $250 2,000 for 12 months

• Test Taking/Study Skills and Reading Workshops

  • Cost - $2000 for a 3 day seminar per group of 80 students and 20 teachers

• Thompson-Peterson's "Get Wise" and SAT/ACT Prep

  • Cost - $99 if they teach/$45 if you teach, and $40 Online SAT/ACT

• RFT Program Development and Management

  • Cost - $40,000 annually

page11

BACK TO TOP

What is Needed

• Support for:

  • Direct Program costs - summer science program, academic year, SAT prep

  • Local staff support

    • Manage Volunteer Selection

    • Coordinate Progarm Agenda - summer and academic year

    • Complete Evaluations

    • Ongoing academic year support using Online curricula

• Collaboration with Community Based Organizations

  • Joint effort with local business, individuals, foundations

  • Additional portals to attract youth using existing organizaiton

• Joint testing and evaluation

  • Coordinate longitudinal study with testing experts

page12

BACK TO TOP