College Access and Success Program Partnerships

The Big Shoulders Fund has helped Chicago’s children in need achieve their dreams through access to a quality, values-based education.

Bottom Line‘s mission is to help low income, first generation students get into college, graduate from college, and go far in life. Our vision is to dramatically transform urban communities by producing thousands of new career-ready college graduates.

Chicago Scholars is transforming the leadership landscape of our city by resolving the fundamental barriers to success for academically driven, first generation college students from under-resourced communities. Through college counseling, mentoring, and by providing a supportive community to our Scholars through each phase of our program: College Access: Launch, College Persistence: Lift and College to Careers: Lead, we ensure that they realize their full potential as students and leaders

College Possible believes in the power of education and that students and supporters can change the country. College Possible coaches low-income students toward college graduation and they prove that when college is possible, anything is possible.

Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs (GEAR UP) provides critical early college awareness and support activities like tutoring, mentoring, academic preparation, financial education and college scholarships to improve access to higher education for low income, minority and disadvantaged first-generation students and their families. GEAR UP was created to provide communities with a comprehensive, holistic and research-driven initiative to prepare students for higher education.

Genesys Works aims to transform the lives of high school students through skills training, meaningful internships, and impactful relationships.

iMentor builds mentoring relationships that empower first-generation students from low-income communities to graduate high school, succeed in college, and achieve their ambitions.

Noble’s College Program exposes students to higher education options and guides them through the collegiate application process. Through college trips, college fairs, summer college immersion programs and a required year-long College Writing course, Noble demystifies the college experience and shapes students’ beliefs and confidence about higher education.

During college, Alumni Coordinators at each campus provide academic and financial aid advising and workshops, mentoring, networking and counseling for alumni as they adjust to college life.

North Lawndale College Prep (NLCP) develops in its students the personal resilience and academic skills necessary to successfully complete college. Helping students achieve the dream of a college degree is NLCP’s purpose. NLCP starts working with students on this endeavor the day they walk in as freshmen and continue working with them until they complete college, no matter how long that might take.

OneGoal continuously develops partnerships with post-secondary institutions that are making a concerted effort to support students of color, students from low-income communities, and first-generation college-goers. These are colleges and universities where Fellows can have engaging and challenging college experiences, while doing well socially, financially, and academically, with the ultimate goal of persisting through college graduation.

One Million Degrees empowers highly motivated community college students to succeed in school, in work, and in life. One Million Degrees believes that when given a solid system of support, every student has the ability to reach his or her full personal and professional potential. Since 2006, One Million Degrees has provided critical supports to help empower hundreds of community college students to succeed in the classroom and beyond.