CAMBRIDGE, Mass. -- America East Conference and College For Every Student (CFES) today announced a partnership which will help thousands of underserved students get to college and be successful there.
Student-athletes at the nine America East universities will combine with CFES to help low-income children forge a path to college. Under this alliance, each university will develop a partnership with a proximate school – elementary, middle, or high – serving a critical mass of low-income students, exposing those students to college life on the America East campuses. Each partnership will incorporate activities that center on the three CFES core practices – mentoring, pathways to college, and leadership through service.
“America East is proud to be the first conference to partner with College For Every Student,” said Patrick Nero, Commissioner of America East. “We encourage our student-athletes to be leaders in academics, athletics and the community. As positive role models, their interaction with CFES students will help raise the aspirations and achievements of countless low-income youth.”
In addition to hosting and mentoring CFES students on campus, America East student-athletes may tutor CFES students and embark on joint service projects.
“The CFES – America East partnership will provide an excellent opportunity for all nine universities to have a positive impact in their communities,” said Freeman Hrabowksi, President of UMBC. “Our student-athletes will be impressive ambassadors in these communities as they talk to young people about their stories and how higher education has made a difference in their lives.”
CFES will secure the funding for planning and training workshops at each America East campus and its partnering school and offer technical assistance, evaluation and other infrastructure, to build a strong, sustainable, mutually-beneficial alliance.
“CFES is thrilled to be partnering with one of the preeminent athletics conferences and its nine institutions,” said Rick Dalton, CEO and President of CFES. “The America East partnership provides a win-win opportunity for all involved.”
The America East partnerships will be modeled after the successful program that CFES helped create between Boston University and Jackson Mann Elementary School, a nearby school with 635 students in grades kindergarten through 8th, 100 of which participate in the CFES program.
“I think it’s a wonderful opportunity for the young people in CFES programs to develop relationships with our champions, our student-athletes who are doing great work in the classroom, in the community, and on the playing field,” said Michael Lynch, Assistant Vice President and Director of Athletics at Boston University. “It is a unique opportunity for those CFES students to come to Boston University and understand what our university experience is all about.”
While more than 90 percent of the 15,000 students in CFES schools nationwide will be the first in their families to attend college, CFES is seeing positive results. Ninety-five percent of the 3,600 CFES Scholars who were high school seniors the last four years went off to college.
About America East
Since its beginning as a men’s basketball conference in 1979, America East has evolved into one of the most comprehensive NCAA Division I conferences with 20 championship sports serving more than 3,000 student-athletes. Supporting the missions of its nine member institutions – Albany, Binghamton, Boston University, Hartford, Maine, UMBC, New Hampshire, Stony Brook and Vermont – America East is committed to developing champions in academics, athletics and leadership. For more information about America East, visit AmericaEast.com.
About College For Every Student
College For Every Student is a non-profit based in Cornwall, Vermont. Since its founding in 1991, CFES has helped underserved youth nationwide strengthen academic performance, graduate from high school, and pursue college by helping schools empower students and by developing innovative partnerships with colleges and networks with other schools. CFES currently serves 15,000 K–12 students in 132 schools and school districts from Boston to Honolulu that partner with 240 colleges. For more information about College For Every Student, visit CollegeFES.org.