Cause

Education

Posted by

Shelly W.

Executive Director

Our mission

Access propels middle school students who have been historically underserved through high school and on to college and career success with enrichment, counseling, and scholarships.

What we do

Access partners with three middle schools and 26 private high schools, and it serves over 500 students across the St. Louis metropolitan area.

* Enrichment Programs: Access provides over 1,179 hours of high-quality after-school and summer enrichment programming to 165 middle school students each year, a support that promotes student achievement, encourages positive behavior, and expands their definition of success. Access students are academically challenged, participating in enrichment classes such as robotics and STEM, character and leadership development, arts-related programs such as violin and many more. Furthermore, our donors can be confident that their support is making a lasting difference. According to the Afterschool Alliance, "Afterschool programs also provide a significant return-on-investment, with every $1 invested saving at least $3 through increasing youth's earning potential, improving their performance at school, and reducing crime and juvenile delinquency" (This is Afterschool' Fact Sheet. Afterschool Alliance. (2020, March). http://afterschoolalliance.org//documents/National-One-Pager-2020.pdf).
* Counseling and Support - Research proves that strong relationships are the foundation for student success. At Access, every student is embraced and supported by a community of trusted, caring adults who help them succeed in and persist in school, work, and life. Our individualized counseling ensures every student's academic, social, financial, and emotional needs are met. Access staff play key roles in counseling, advocating, and guiding our students and families, committing to an 11+ year journey from middle school through high school and onto their first career.
* Scholarships - At Access, we believe in equity: that every student should have every chance to thrive every day. Since our founding in 2005, Access has contributed more than $7,254,348 in financial scholarships to high school and college students. An investment that eliminates financial barriers for our families and uplifts the St. Louis region. Our high school tuition scholarships play a pivotal role in our students' success, allowing them to experience private, college-prep high schools in the region, which further prepares them for their next steps. Access also offers college and post-secondary scholarships, aimed at helping our students achieve their degree, license, or credentials on time and with less debt.