Northeastern Illinois University’s Center for College Access and Success has been selected to partner with JPMorgan Chase to support The Fellowship Initiative (TFI), an academic and social enrichment program that helps young men of color achieve personal and professional success.
“We need to do more to make sure young men of color have access to high quality education and positive role models,” said Dalila Wilson-Scott, Head of Global Philanthropy, JPMorgan Chase. “Through The Fellowship Initiative we have learned that students respond positively to commitment and we are excited to see what they can achieve given the tools for academic and personal success.”
Through TFI, a program developed by JPMorgan Chase, the Center for College Access and Success will provide comprehensive support to 40 high school students from Chicago Public Schools to help them prepare for and succeed in college. The programming will consist of Saturday workshops that include experiential learning initiatives, improvisational theater, STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Math) explorations, leadership development activities, college tours and activities to engage their families in college readiness preparation. Once in college, the Fellows will continue to receive support services, and can even be selected for summer internship programs at JPMorgan Chase.
“We’re proud to be JPMorgan Chase’s chosen partner in Chicago for The Fellowship Initiative. This partnership complements the work we already do in preparing students for succeeding in college and beyond. These are the kinds of students we work with every day, and with whom we have a proven track record of success. With this added support, I’m excited for what the future holds for these young men,” said Dr. Wendy M. Stack, Associate Vice President and Executive Director, Center for College Access and Success.
Founded in 1978, the Center for College Access and Success is the largest school improvement organization in Chicago. Its collaborative partnerships engage the entire community to help students succeed academically and socially. In addition to state and federally funded grant programs, the Center offers contracts to schools and organizations for professional development, after-school and Saturday programs.
JPMorgan Chase launched TFI in New York City in 2010. This pilot demonstrated that with a comprehensive enrichment program, the students were able to rise to the challenge of completing their high school educations and successfully transition to four-year colleges and universities. The 24 Fellows who completed the three-year pilot starting in their sophomore year of high schools graduated from high school on time, gained admission to a four-year college program, and collectively received scholarships and grants totaling $8.4 million. With TFI’s expansion to Chicago and Los Angeles, a total of 120 students, 40 students in each city, are participating in the program.
