Since 2001, we have focused on breaking down the barriers to college and successful careers for low-income and minority youth. We have worked with schools and families to convince students they are college capable and we’ve created a unique model to do so. We’ve developed our programs over the years to go beyond the “landscape college tours,” scholarship nights, application nights, and more, and today, we actually place students in real college and career courses as early as 9th grade. Our staff provides social and emotional, as well as academic supports throughout the student’s high school career. As a result, our students succeed and gain confidence in themselves and learn they are indeed capable of competing with others in college and career centers. Over the years, we’ve seen a dramatic increase in the number of students completing 30 or more college credits, career certifications, and associate degrees while in the schools we support.
Today, we are grateful the Indiana Department of Education announced an $8.35 million grant to GEO Foundation to support our efforts to help more students accelerate their learning in college and careers while in high school.
Today’s 14- to 18-year-olds are capable of doing so much more than high school. I’ve seen 14-year-olds complete 16 college credits, 16-year-olds complete full associate degrees, and 18-year-olds complete a full bachelor’s degree while in high school. The challenge is going beyond traditional thought and actually supporting and empowering students to take real on-campus college courses and career certification classes.
That’s what we will do with these new funds from the Department of Education.
We look forward to working with Ivy Tech, Indiana Black Expo, and our partner schools to address the learning recovery in Indiana and to help meet the state’s larger goals of more high school students graduating having earned the Indiana College Core, career certifications, associate degrees and more.
Sincerely, Kevin Teasley
Founder & President
GEO Foundation