All posts in College Access

We’re in the midst of making some major changes to the Kapor Foundation’s approach to social impact work, as I alluded to in a July 17th post. Last week we shared an update with our current grant partners that may be useful for others to know:

“The purpose of this email is to update you on our evolving strategy to meet our mission, which has not changed: ‘We support organizations that provoke social change in communities of color en route to equality.’

For the past five years, the Kapor Foundation has worked to support critical work that affects communities of color both nationally and here in the Bay Area. At the beginning of 2012, we shared our interest in learning more about how info tech can be mobilized in pursuit of positive social impacts. With the ever-growing presence of info tech in our everyday lives, we strongly believe that CBOs must harness technology to more effectively achieve their missions.
(more…)

The Foundation Center and Open Society Foundation recently released, Where do We go From Here?, a joint report highlighting various philanthropic investments across the country in black men and boys. As folks may know, creating equitable systems for black men and boys has been a hot topic in philanthropy. Foundations nationwide are making themselves visible and approachable and are partnering with policy advocates, practitioners, and community leaders to disrupt the alarming trends of poverty, poor graduation rates, and high incarceration rates among black males.

The Kapor Foundation, through its College Bound Brotherhood Program, was recognized for its contribution and was identified as a small foundation that is making a large impact in this movement (pg. 32).  Cedric Brown, CEO of  the Kapor Foundation, commented on how the Foundation has been able to have such a measurable presence. “We have had to be really specific about what we support and expect. Looking at all the complexity, we have always been driven by the question: ‘what slice of this can we take that will have an impact?”  To read more on how the Kapor Foundation and other organizations are establishing themselves in this national conversation please click here.

Only 52 percent of Black males and 58 percent of Latino males who graduated in 2010 received high school diplomas compared to 78 percent of their White male counterparts says the latest study released last week by the Schott Foundation for Public Education. Although the study shows an increase in graduation rates for young men of color since 2001-02, the disparity between them and their white peers remains vast. At this rate, it would take nearly 50 years for Black males to achieve the same high school graduation rates as their White male counterparts.

Of the states with the largest Black enrollments, North Carolina, Maryland, and California have the highest graduation rates for Black males, while New York, Illinois and Florida have the lowest. Arizona and Minnesota were the only states amongst the top ten ranked states, in graduation rates, with over 10,000 Black males enrolled.

(more…)

I recently stumbled upon an article that mentioned a new mobile application that’s being tested here in the Bay Area.  Inspired by its mission to increase completion rates among community college students in the U.S., GradGears recently released GradGuru for the iPhone and iPod Touch. GradGuru is a free mobile application that helps community college students keep track of campus-specific deadlines; better understand the milestones they need to reach to successfully achieve their goals; learn the behaviors that lead to academic success; tap existing student support and financial aid services and resources; and share lessons with each other.

(more…)

Future graduates,

Welcome to your final year of high school or, what I would like to dub, the beginning of the next chapter of your life. I know you’re probably saying to yourself, “Huh? Wouldn’t this kind of speech be more appropriate for graduation?”.  Yes, it usually would be. However, for you, my young brothers, I feel that it’s more important that you hear it now.

I get that you may feel like coasting and riding the tailwind of the past three years of hard work.  Believe me, I was once there. You’re probably thinking a mild case of senioritis won’t hurt you.  Or will it? Too many students are advancing through their senior year without a plan, one that clearly outlines what their next steps will be as they transition out of high school into adulthood. I encourage you to begin thinking about what your plan is right now!

As you begin mapping out your plan, whether it includes enrolling into a four-year college, community college, or vocational training, consider what it is that you’ll need to help you get to where you want to be.  For example, if you’re planning on enrolling in college next fall, then you should be asking yourself whether or not you’ve:  a) completed your A-G requirements, b) registered and taken the SAT or ACT,  and c) filled out a FAFSA application.  Become proactive in identifying what steps you must take in order to see your goals, academic and otherwise, come to fruition.

The journey begins now.  Do not wait until June to begin making moves. Remember to be proactive rather than reactive. If you need support developing your plan, then seek advice from your high school counselor, college and career center on campus, or your after school program. If you need to locate a college readiness provider, then please visit www.collegeboundbros.org. For a complete list of SAT dates and registration information please click here.

All the best this year and beyond,

Justin

A recent article published by Education Week reveals that high school student scores on the ACT this year failed to meet crucial education standards, demonstrating that they are not prepared to succeed in college. Although there was a slight improvement in math and science test scores, “60 percent of the class of 2012 that took the test failed to meet benchmarks in two of the four subjects tested”. Additionally, the achievement gap persists, unchanged from last year with Latino and African American students having the lowest test scores while Asian and White students maintain the highest.
(more…)

This opinion column, Virtual Becomes Personal, is hot off the press in the July 1 issue of The NonProfit Times. I think the last paragraph is particularly relevant to the Foundation’s future direction:

The nonprofit community would do well to pursue three recommendations toward a unified goal of strengthening advocacy campaigns. First, traditional and digital organizers need to emerge from their respective silos and come together in forums to learn from each other how to leverage both forms of advocacy. Second, nonprofits should incorporate both traditional and digital organizing within a coherent strategy to broaden and deepen public participation, either developing the capabilities themselves or negotiating partnerships with others. Third, private foundations and nonprofit research institutions can add value to the field by undertaking more systematic research around the possibilities of digital organizing and online advocacy.

Read the entire article here (pdf). More details about our development will be forthcoming in the fall.

Congrats to our own Justin Davis for being featured in this week’s Bay Citizen: “Former basketball pro urges teens to prepare for college.” Thanks to reporter Lousie Rafkin for the coverage. Not only can we use more “can do” messages to youth of color, we also need more stories that frame the tough realities (and remote possibilities) of a professional sports career. Stay tuned for more from Mr. Davis and the College Bound Brotherhood in 2012-13.

Photo by Sarah Rice for The Bay Citizen

This past Sunday, 67  African American young men took the Kaiser Center stage for the 2012 College Bound Brotherhood Graduation Celebration. This culminating event, hosted by the College Bound Brotherhood, a program of the Mitchell Kapor Foundation, brought together family, friends, and community members to celebrate young brothas from across the Bay Area who are graduating from high school and matriculating to college.

(more…)