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B-CC High School
Educational Foundation |
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Signature Programs |
The Foundation underwrites three major academic support programs:
- Time for Academic Progress (TAP) offers after-school academic assistance in English, math, and science at all levels provided by B-CC teachers three days a week at B-CC and two evenings a week at the Coffield Center in Silver Spring.
- CollegeTracks provides after-school and evening workshops, as well as trained mentors, to help with the college application and financial aid process for students who, although qualified, may be at risk of not going to college
- Summer Academy is a three-week summer program for incoming 9th grade students who have struggled academically in middle school. Students work on English, math, science, study skills, and general school issues.
You can read more about these programs by clicking on the links above, and we'll be highlighting them in future issues as well. |
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Don't Miss An Issue!
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For the past five years, the B-CC High School Educational Foundation has thrown a great party to celebrate our programming and our supporters - and this year is no exception! We hope you can join us on Thursday, March 8th as we honor CollegeTracks founders Cathie Goltz, Nancy Leopold and Nancy Zeller. The evening will be a wonderful opportunity to reconnect with old friends and meet new ones, as well as to support the ongoing work of the Foundation.
The CollegeTracks program was started ten years ago by a group of dedicated volunteer mothers and a $1,500 grant from the Foundation. Since then, it's expanded tremendously and has served over 1,000 B-CC students. I urge you to read more below about CollegeTracks - one of the Foundation's three signature programs, all of which are designed to ensure that all B-CC students, regardless of background or financial circumstance, receive the support they need to be successful, find a pathway to college, and pursue their dreams.
I'm also delighted to announce the expansion of another our of signature programs; this year, the Summer Academy will serve not only incoming 9th graders, but also rising 10th graders. The Foundation is proud to support this program and pleased to be able to underwrite this new project.
As always, we welcome your feedback, your ideas, and your support!
- Matt Gandal
President |
Spotlight on CollegeTracks - A Signature Program! |
CollegeTracks, the brainchild of three B-CC parents, was launched in October 2002 in collaboration with B-CC's administration and its Counseling Department. Funded by an initial $1,500 grant from the B-CC HS Educational Foundation, CollegeTracks seeks to level the college admissions and financial aid playing field among B-CC students.
The founders - Cathie Goltz, Nancy Leopold, and Nancy Zeller - saw students who looked with despair when asked about their plans after graduation. These students came from widely varying backgrounds. However, most were from low-income households and, unlike their middle class counterparts, not one of them had an adult in their lives familiar enough with the American higher education system to help them navigate the complicated maze of gaining admission to college and securing sufficient financial aid to attend. Most believed college was unaffordable.
CollegeTracks remained an all-volunteer effort for three years. In December 2005, on the basis of its success at B-CC, the Jack Kent Cooke Foundation awarded it a two-year $90,000 grant to expand the program to Wheaton High School whose seniors have one of the lowest college attendance rates in the county. The grant enabled the program to hire and train staff so it could improve and expand its college access services at B-CC and at Wheaton.
In FY2008, the B-CC HS Educational Foundation added CollegeTracks to its signature programs and increased the funding for the program at B-CC to $50,000 annually. With additional generous contributions from local government, charitable organizations, and individuals, and in-kind support from the school system, CollegeTracks has been able to expand its staff to reach more students and deliver more comprehensive services.
Read more about CollegeTracks, and please join us to honor its founders and celebrate its success on March 8th - see below! |
Summer Academy to Expand! |
The tremendous success of the 9th grade Summer Academy inspired B-CC staff to develop a proposal to expand the program to help rising 10th graders shape their high school academic choices to meet their post-secondary goals. The one week program (to be held the week of August 6, 2012) will emphasize interest inventories, career exploration, college considerations, and community service. The program will be targeted to serve students who participated in last year's Summer Academy, as well as students identified by B-CC counselors as underperforming during the 2011/12 shcool year. The Foundation recently approved a grant of $4,800 to support the expansion of this terrific program. |
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RSVP NOW - THURSDAY, MARCH 8th!
On Thursday, March 8th, the Foundation will host its 6th annual community fundraiser at the Woman's Club of Chevy Chase from 7-9pm. The evening honors CollegeTracks - a Foundation "signature" program - and its founders, Cathie Goltz, Nancy Leopold,and Nancy Zeller, and will feature a wine tasting with selections from around the world, as well as heavy hors d'oeuvres. To purchase a ticket or make a donation on-line, click here. If you prefer to print out your RSVP to mail in with a check, click here. |
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