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College Summit Named "United States Social Entrepreneur of the Year"
College Summit Named "United States Social Entrepreneur of the Year"
Published 01-09-08
Submitted by College Summit
WASHINGTON, DC -, January 9, 2008 "“College Summit, the award-winning nonprofit organization credited with helping nearly 35,000 low-income high school seniors navigate the college application process, will be honored as the U.S. Social Entrepreneur of the Year by the Schwab Foundation for Social Entrepreneurship. As part of the Schwab Foundation's commitment to recognizing and supporting a global network of social entrepreneurs, College Summit's CEO and Founder, J.B. Schramm will join a global audience of world leaders, CEOs, academics and social change activists at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland on Jan. 23-27.
Each year, the Schwab Foundation's panel of international judges selects a "Social Entrepreneur of the Year" in each of 22 different countries, spanning four continents. Awardees are recognized for implementing "pioneering initiatives that have improved economic opportunity and quality of life." Each winner of these national competitions is invited to join other corporate, academic and philanthropic leaders at the World Economic Forum, and to participate in meetings of a global network of social entrepreneurs designed to strengthen and expand their organizations.
At the root of College Summit's social change model is the recognition that getting first-generation students to and through college is one of the most cost-effective ways to break the cycle of poverty in the United States. College graduates earn $1 million more over the course of their careers, and their children are almost twice as likely to go to college. College Summit helps U.S. high schools raise their college-enrollment rates by providing seniors with a course in post-secondary planning, training teachers and counselors to build college-ready culture, equipping the most influential students in the school to help their peers apply to college, and by collaborating with school leaders to track results.
"Education is the civil rights issue of our generation. This award is a credit to the innovative educators in high schools that launch young people to success in college and career and, of course, to the students themselves," said Schramm.
"College Summit offers 'can-do' solutions that give more low-income Americans the opportunity of college, while designing a model applicable internationally to enhance opportunities for young people," said Pamela Hartigan, Managing Director of the Schwab Foundation for Social Entrepreneurship.
The high schools that partner with College Summit have significantly increased their college enrollment rates. "College Summit is a leading innovator in helping high schools build systems to enable each child to receive the support he needs to graduate and attend college. Given the practical limitations of one counselor serving hundreds of students, this model of support is essential," said Jim Shelton, Program Director for the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, which supports College Summit.
Business leaders recognize that increasing college access for low-income students is critical to the development of the workforce. According to Barry Salzberg, CEO of Deloitte & Touche USA LLP and a College Summit Board Member, "One of the reasons College Summit is so worthy of this important recognition is because of the great work it's doing to help high schools measure and improve their ability to help disadvantaged students apply to and enroll in college. The students helped by College Summit represent our future."
About College Summit
College Summit is a national nonprofit organization that helps high schools raise their college-enrollment rates by providing all students with a course in post-secondary planning, training teachers and counselors to build college-ready culture, equipping the most influential students in the school to help their peers apply to college, and helping school leaders track results. The organization works with 150 high schools in 10 states through partnerships with school districts including Denver, St. Louis, Oakland, New York City, Kanawha County, WV, and Prince George's County, MD. Partner schools are successfully raising their school-wide college enrollment rates. For example, St. Louis partner high schools produced more than a 20% increase in college enrollment over baselines in their first year. Results from West Virginia show College Summit schools outperforming similar high schools throughout the state by 13% over two years. For more information about College Summit, please visit www.collegesummit.org
