Step Ahead Idaho Inc

STEP AHEAD IDAHO ADDRESSES THE COMMUNITY NEED FOR MORE COMPREHENSIVE, AFFORDABLE COLLEGE ADMISSIONS COUNSELING WITH A THREE-PRONGED APPROACH, WHICH REPRESENTS OUR THREE MAIN PROGRAM SERVICES: FREE COLLEGE DROP-IN ADVISING, FREE WORKSHOPS, FEE-FOR-SERVICE CLIENTS AND PAID WORKSHOPS. 1.FREE COLLEGE ADVISING DROP-IN CENTERS. WE OPERATE TWO COLLEGE ADVISING CENTERS: A POP-UP DROP-IN AT THE DOWNTOWN YMCA AND A STAND-ALONE CENTER ADJACENT TO THE HILLCREST LIBRARY. THESE DROP-IN CENTERS ARE COMPLETELY FREE OF CHARGE AND DESIGNED TO BE PLACES WHERE STUDENTS CAN GET COUNSELING AND ADVICE ON ANY ASPECT OF THE COLLEGE- GOING PROCESS. SINCE COVID, WE HAVE EXPANDED OUR AVAILABILITY TO INCLUDE IN PERSON OR ZOOM MEETINGS. BETWEEN BOTH DROP-IN SITES AND VIA ZOOM, SEVEN ADVISORS SEE STUDENTS THREE TO FOUR DAYS PER WEEK, HELPING STUDENTS AND FAMILIES NAVIGATE THE COLLEGE APPLICATION, FINANCIAL AID, SCHOLARSHIP SEARCH, AND COLLEGE ESSAY WRITING PROCESS. STAFFING THESE SITES OURSELVES AND TRAINING VOLUNTEERS TO ASSIST US, WE TYPICALLY SEE 50+ STUDENTS EACH MONTH AND STAFF 40+HOURS EACH MONTH. THE YMCA CHARGES NO RENT FOR THE USE OF THEIR SPACE, AND THE LIBRARY CHARGES 550 PER MONTH FOR THE USE OF OUR HILLCREST OFFICE. OUR PROJECTED OPERATIONAL COSTS ARE 11,265.00 OUR PROJECTED PERSONNEL COSTS ARE 54,000.00 THERE ARE 15 PUBLIC HIGH SCHOOLS IN THE TREASURE VALLEY, AND MORE THAN 10 PRIVATE AND CHARTER HIGH SCHOOLS THAT SERVE OVER 28,000 HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS. AS THE TREASURE VALLEY CONTINUES TO EXPERIENCE RAPID GROWTH, OUR CAPACITY TO SERVE THIS INCREASED, DIVERSE POPULATION OF LEARNERS WILL ALSO EXPAND. 2.FREE WORKSHOPS. BEFORE COVID-19, WE STRIVED TO REACH OUT TO THE LARGER COMMUNITY WITH FREE TALKS AT OUR NEW HILLCREST LOCATION AND EVENTS THAT PROVIDE INFORMATION TO TARGETED GROUPS. AMONG OUR MOST HEAVILY ATTENDED SESSIONS WERE: HOW TO CHOOSE A COLLEGE, WHAT TO KNOW ABOUT APPLYING TO SELECTIVE SCHOOLS/MILITARY ACADEMIES/THE IVY LEAGUES, NAVIGATING FINANCIAL AID, BOISE SCHOOL DISTRICT HEALTH PROFESSIONS EXPO AND HOW TO BE A RECRUITED ATHLETE. OUR OUTREACH EXTENDED TO PROVIDING WORKSHOPS AT THE HISPANIC LEADERSHIP CONFERENCE, LEADERSHIP BOISE, BOISE SCHOOL DISTRICT EVENINGS ABOUT HEALTH AND STEM- BASED CAREERS, SESSIONS FOR FINANCIAL PLANNERS INTERESTED IN PROVIDING BETTER COLLEGE AFFORDABILITY ADVICE FOR THEIR CLIENTS, AND COLLEGE- READINESS CLINICS FOR OVER 1500 JUNIOR HIGH AND HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS. THE PANDEMIC SHIFTED OUR FOCUS TO WORKING WITH INDIVIDUALS AND THEIR FAMILIES SO OUR ASSISTANCE IS TARGETED AND PERSONALIZED, AND TO WORKING IN PARTNERSHIP WITH ORGANIZATIONS LIKE COLLEGE BOUND TO DELIVER PROGRAMMING THAT IS DESIGNED FOR FEWER STUDENTS AT ONE TIME VIA IN PERSON SESSIONS AND DIFFERENT DIGITAL LEARNING PLATFORMS. WE HAVE ALSO EXPANDED OUR OUTREACH TO BLAINE AND VALLEY COUNTIES. ONE ADVISOR IN EACH LOCATION PARTNERS WITH THE LOCAL HIGH SCHOOLS, OFFERING IN PERSON OR ZOOM ADVISING DURING THE ACADEMIC YEAR AND HOSTING SUMMER WORKSHOPS. IN 2023, WE EXPANDED OUR IN-PERSON PROGRAMMING TO INCLUDE CLASSES ON HOW TO MANAGE AND ASSEMBLE THE DIFFERENT COLLEGE APPLICATIONS AVAILABLE TO HIGH SCHOOL SENIORS AND HELD TWO SUMMER SESSIONS. OUR RESOURCES BUDGET FOR THIS ASPECT OF OUR SERVICES IS 10,000 PER YEAR. 3.FEE-FOR-SERVICE CLIENTS & PAID WORKSHOPS. WE OFFER SEVERAL PRIVATE ADVISING OPTIONS FOR STUDENTS, INCLUDING ONE-ON- ONE ADVISING AND INTENSIVE ESSAY-WRITING WORKSHOPS -ALL ON A SLIDING-SCALE, FEE-FOR-SERVICE BASIS. OVER ELEVEN YEARS, WE HAVE GROWN FROM SERVING A HANDFUL OF STUDENTS TO OVER 200 ONE-ON-ONE EACH YEAR. IN 2023, WE HELD SIX COLLEGE ESSAY WRITING WORKSHOPS AT OUR HILLCREST CENTER AND TWO MORE IN VALLEY COUNTY, AS WELL AS THREE AFFORDABLE SMALL- GROUP TEST PREP SESSIONS IN PARTNERSHIP WITH VETTED LOCAL TUTORS WE KNOW OFFER QUALITY TUTORING FOR THE PSAT, SAT AND ACT. AS IS OUR WAY, WE OFFER SCHOLARSHIPS FOR ANY SERVICES FOR WHICH WE ALSO CHARGE. WE ALSO VISITED VISION CHARTER TO HOST A COLLEGE READINESS NIGHT FOR 50 9TH-12TH GRADERS. IN 2024, OUR AIM IS TO INCREASE OUR WORKSHOPS AT AREA SCHOOLS AND, AT OUR HILLCREST SITE, CONTINUE TO OFFER STANDARDIZED TEST PREP AS WELL AS INCREASE THE NUMBER OF MORE ESTABLISHED PROGRAMS WE HAVE HISTORICALLY OFFERED. WE ALSO AIM TO CONTINUE CREATING NEW SESSIONS AND WORKSHOPS THAT ADDRESS THE NEEDS OF OUR GROWING POPULATION. OUR PROJECTED RESOURCES BUDGET FOR THIS ASPECT OF OUR SERVICES IS 20,000 PER YEAR.