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Take Stock in Children was established in 1995 as a non-profit
organization in Florida that provides a unique opportunity for
low-income and at-risk students, many from minority families, to
escape the cycle of poverty through education. We offer our
students college scholarships, caring volunteer mentors and hope
for a better life. Our comprehensive services start in middle
school, continue through high school and include their
transition into college.
Our program is based on the principal that given extensive
support, motivation and accountability, children will work hard
to ensure that they graduate from high school and attain a
college degree. We fund our college scholarships and student
services through a unique public-private fund raising model, and
our mentors generously volunteer their mentoring services to our
children.
Take Stock in Children's multi-year commitment to at-risk
children in our county is also an investment in the communities
in which our students live. We know that the education of a
child is an investment in their future and the assured way of
breaking the cycle of poverty. Our goal is to continue to reduce
the number of high school drop-outs and to increase the number
of students who finish college and enter the workforce
successfully.
Each student that enters our program signs a contract promising
to remain crime and drug free, maintain a 2.5 GPA and above,
exhibit good behavior, and meet with their assigned mentor
regularly through high school graduation. Upon graduation,
students receive a 4 year college tuition scholarship.
Take Stock in Children staff meet with students in the program
each semester to ensure students have the resources they need to
complete school. Student grades are tracked quarterly and
immediate intervention is executed should students show signs of
academic decline.
Our local program completes an Annual Program Assessment to
ensure that we are meeting our goals and maintaining program
standards. We measure our program success in a variety of ways
including student grades and behavior reports, as well as mentor
surveys regarding student's attitude and personal development.
We also complete an annual survey through Florida Prepaid,
ensuring our accountability in every aspect.
In May, we are bringing 25 new scholars into the program. To date, our local program has awarded 580 Take Stock in
Children scholarships.
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