Title
Recognizing College Possible Philadelphia and its first cohort of college graduates.
Body
WHEREAS, Studies of longitudinal data from the United States Social Security Administration have shown that the attainment of a four-year college degree can increase an individual’s lifetime earnings by hundreds of thousands of dollars; and
WHEREAS, These additional earnings create opportunities associated with membership in the American middle class: the ability to sustain a family, purchase a home, or save for the future; and
WHEREAS, First-generation college students from low-income families often lack the supports they need to navigate post-secondary life and successfully complete their degrees; one report from the Pell Institute found that in 2013, 77 percent of students from high-income backgrounds graduated from college, while only nine percent of low income students earned their degree that same year; and
WHEREAS, It is for these reasons that College Possible, a nonprofit AmeriCorps organization, was founded in 2000 in St. Paul, Minnesota. Then known as Admission Possible, its goal was to make college admission and success possible by pairing AmeriCorps service members with college-bound juniors and seniors from low-income households; they are often the first in their families to attend college; and
WHEREAS, In after-school sessions, students are coached on how to get into college and how to succeed once they get there. Skills include test preparation, college applications, financial aid, navigating campus resources, finding internships, and time management; and
WHEREAS, The program was an immediate success, with a 2011 Harvard study finding that participation significantly increases low-income students’ likelihood of enrolling in and completing college; and
WHEREAS, Success brought expansion - first across the upper Midwest, and later, to cities in every region in the United States; and
WHEREAS, College Possible Philadelphia was launched in 2014, and in spring of this year, they celebrated the graduation of their first cohort of students; in the most recent academic year, they also served 2,000 students with resources and support to help them get to and through college, and continued to form and strengthen partnerships with post-secondary institutions in and around Philadelphia; and
WHEREAS, It is fitting for this legislative body to recognize the hard work and success of the students, the dedication of their AmeriCorps service member partners, and the crucial role that College Possible Philadelphia has played, and will continue to play, in helping young low-income Philadelphians increase educational attainment and achieve upward economic mobility; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, THAT THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PHILADELPHIA, Recognizes College Possible Philadelphia and its first cohort of college graduates.
FURTHER RESOLVED, That an Engrossed copy of this resolution be presented to representatives of College Possible Philadelphia as a sincere expression of City Council’s gratitude and appreciation for helping young students from low-income families achieve success in college.
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