COVID-19 Response and Recovery Fund: our work with high school and college students

By Lauren Priest, program associate

As businesses and public places have begun to reopen, schools and students are still making very difficult decisions about what the fall will look like for them, facing the reality that COVID-19 will be affecting our region for at least the next few months.

When the dangers of COVID-19 became clear to schools in March, many closed very unexpectedly, giving students, families and even teachers and administrators little opportunity to plan. College students were stranded across the country, some with no access to housing, food or other necessities. Many students lacked access to classes that were suddenly completely internet-based, and many had to complete summer courses or delay graduation due to an inability to complete their spring semester. Students from pre-kindergarten to high school were suddenly confined to their homes. Sports, extracurricular activities, proms and graduation ceremonies were cancelled. And the future was unclear.

From the inception of the Community Foundation for Greater Atlanta and United Way’s COVID-19 Response and Recovery Fund, we knew that education funding had to be a priority. Education is a vital piece of our commitment to provide equity of opportunity to metro Atlanta and surrounding communities as a gateway out of poverty and a means of accumulating wealth to offset the gaps we see in income and generational wealth across our region.

Since March, we have funded more than 50 organizations focused on education for a total of over $2.8 million. Through these grants, students and their families have been given laptops and tablets, access to the internet, food, emergency assistance funds for things like rental and utility payments, telehealth access and many other types of support.

However, our work is far from complete. As schools plan for the fall and COVID-19 shows no signs of slowing down, high school and college students now must decide what their futures hold within our “new normal.” Nonprofit organizations are continuing to provide high-quality mentorship, tutoring, college and career counseling, and other resources to high school and college students, youth, young adults and their families as they cope with the interruptions COVID-19 has caused. Many have even expanded services to meet the new and exacerbated needs of students.

We’d like to highlight some of our amazing COVID-19 Response and Recovery Fund grant recipients. If you are a Community Foundation donor interested in making a grant, please contact your philanthropic officer.

Atlanta CARES Mentoring Movement

Atlanta CARES secures and transforms the lives of children by inspiring, recruiting and mobilizing masses of caring men and women to mentor and nourish them. It serves vulnerable children and their families in the metro Atlanta area through mentorship programming and the University for Parents. Many of the parents they serve are referred through Fulton County, either as a jail diversion effort for misdemeanor offenses or because their children have interacted with the juvenile justice system. Most of these parents have an income of $10,000 or less. The University for Parents teaches parents life skills, resilience, parenting skills, self-awareness and workforce readiness skills.

According to Brenda Coleman, executive director of Atlanta CARES, the organization had to close its campus quickly due to COVID-19. While Atlanta CARES quickly transitioned to online programming, many of parents lacked laptops to access classes. At the same time,  caseworkers began reporting “increasing levels of stress and trauma associated with domestic violence, child abuse, job losses and homelessness in relation to COVID-19.” The number of referrals began increasing dramatically and the organization wwas inundated with requests for assistance with clothing, educational materials for children, food, rent, utility bills,  and other services that it had not typically provided just a few months ago.

With the help of the grant that Atlanta CARES received from the Greater Atlanta COVID-19 Response and Recovery Fund, it was able to purchase computers for parents enrolled in the University for Parents program. The parents have been thrilled to receive computers and actively participate in classes. One parent said “When I heard the University for Parents was closing because of the virus, I was so upset because I didn’t have a computer to take their online classes. Then out of the blue they called me and told me they had a computer for me and I was so, so happy. Now I am talking in my classes and I can see all of the charts and videos that my teachers are showing on my screen. This computer is such a blessing to me and my family. We can apply for jobs and stay in touch with our family members more. I am so grateful!”

College AIM

College AIM’s thoughtfully guides and fiercely supports public school students in Metro Atlanta to and through four-year, two-year and technical college. It accomplishes this through college exposure, college and financial aid counseling and college relationships. Most of these students come from low-income families, may be the first in their family to go to college and faced many barriers to success long before COVID-19. More than 95% of College AIM students receive free or reduced lunch and many students and parents work low-wage, service-industry jobs. Because of COVID-19, many have lost jobs, are food insecure, can’t pay bills and lack childcare or insurance. Many don’t have access to computers or internet to access online courses.

Over the last few months, college admissions requirements and deadlines have changed without warning, financial aid policies continue to shift and many of the families College AIM serves have struggled to meet basic needs. Financial aid and admissions offices remain closed and access to high school guidance counselors is limited, causing many students to feel more disconnected and less supported than ever.

According to Sam Aleinikoff, executive director of College AIM, “With schools closed, our students have lost regular contact with other resources in this arena (school counselors, mentors, tutors, career services), and College AIM has become a centralized, trusted source for college resources and those beyond our typical scope. We continue to serve our normal population, but as a result of COVID-19, we have drastically changed and expanded services to support our students and their families.” These services include an emergency fund for students to meet basic and educational needs, virtual college and financial aid counseling virtual tutoring and career coaching for college students and with colleges to negotiate support for students and disseminate information to quickly.

One College AIM student, who spent her junior year visiting and researching colleges, and last fall completing applications to nearly a dozen different schools across the state and across the nation, had to face tough decisions this spring as COVID-19 hit and her acceptances began to roll in. Thanks to the COVID-19 Response and Recovery grant, College AIM was able to help her remotely. While financial aid offices were difficult to get a hold of, College AIM answered her questions, “meeting” with her virtually to complete each school’s individual financial aid process. Once scholarships and financial aid awards arrived, it helped her analyze each option and understand what the real cost of each school would be. Ultimately, she was able to make a decision. In the fall, she will be attending American University, in Washington, D.C., on a full ride. 

Leap Year

Leap Year improves literacy results and college enrollment in Atlanta by recruiting first generation high school graduates to serve as second grade reading coaches. According to Leap Year, even prior to COVID-19, only about 40% of Atlanta Public School third grade students read on grade level (a key benchmark and indicator of future success and educational attainment), and only 1 in 4 Atlanta Public School graduates complete a post-secondary degree. Leap Year’s mission equips elementary and recent high school graduates with the tools to achieve academic and leadership potential. During a  yearlong full-time program, Leap Year Fellows spend 20 hours per week serving as reading coaches at a local elementary school helping over 90% of the students they serve improve their literacy skills. They spend the other 20 hours per week on college readiness through academic preparation, applying to college, completing the FAFSA, socio-emotional learning, and taking real college courses for credit. Their Leap Year culminates in entering college prepared to graduate and strengthening the next generation of talented students in reading.

As COVID-19 hit our region, Leap Year moved to a remote learning model. The Fellows continued to provide literacy support to second graders by creating videos of themselves reading books and holding virtual book clubs with elementary aged school children over the Summer. In addition, the Fellows enrolled in a Summer math course at Georgia State University, with the tutoring support of our program staff. Leap Year staff connect with the Fellows daily to confirm they are safe and healthy, and to help them progress through their GSU coursework and our college readiness curriculum.

Given the impact of COVID-19, Atlanta’s students need Leap Year’s intensive one-on-one academic support now more than ever. When schools reopen in the Fall, Atlanta’s low-income elementary students, graduating seniors, and rising seniors will be less academically and emotionally prepared for higher education. Georgia’s school closures have resulted in severe learning loss for many of Atlanta’s low-income students who may not have the technology or support they need during this time.

According to Amber Scott, executive director of Leap Year, its model is uniquely able to adapt to help those students who will be even more behind in reading catch-up through daily small group and one-on-one literacy tutoring sessions. This fall, Leap Year will serve the increasing number of elementary students and graduating seniors, whose post-secondary plans have been thrown into question, and better prepare them academically and emotionally for their next steps.

Raising Expectations

Raising Expectations empowers youth in crisis by elevating academic, social and civic expectations to facilitate high school graduation and post-secondary plans. All of its students receive free or reduced lunch, 98% of families have a household income of $30,000 or less with an average family size of 5, 17% live in households where one or both of their parents have been incarcerated and 27% have Individual Education Plans (IEPs). Raising Expectations provides these students with collegiate coaching, career exploration, mentoring, tutoring  and other programs.

When COVID-19 began to impact our region, Raising Expectations quickly shifted to providing programming virtually, while adapting  to meet the additional needs of students and families beyond traditional programming. According to Maria E. Armstrong and Tangee Allen, co-founders of Raising Expectations, “The financial downturn precipitated by the pandemic created more challenges for Raising Expectations families already managing stretched resources. Over the last several months, our staff, in collaboration with Raising Expectations parents, detailed areas of concern to help us focus resources on the immediate critical needs of families while still allowing us to continue to fulfill Raising Expectations’ mission and goals. The three areas of greatest emphasis include addressing educational needs, connecting families with financial assistance and helping to address increased levels of food insecurity.” Raising Expectations has ensured that its students and families have access to internet and electronic devices, achieved digital literacy, received mentoring and tutoring support, received case management when they were in need of financial assistance and/or support in filing for unemployment, providing access to donated food and connected to food distributions.

Raising Expectations has also increased its use of electronic communication platforms, including social media, and further diversified programming to address the social and emotional needs of participants and parents isolating at home. It has  hosted Fun Fridays (virtual game nights for students) and Parent Kickbacks (virtual parties to help families connect, relieve stress and celebrate daily victories at a distance). 

The Scholarship Academy

The Scholarship Academy’s helps low-income students secure resources to pursue higher education opportunities with minimum debt and, thus, create a healthier financial aid culture. At the beginning of COVID-19 related shutdown, The Scholarship Academy quickly transitioned services to a virtual platform, providing advanced financial aid counseling, virtual office hours, student emergency aid and technology access and support.

As COVID-19 began impacting our region at a critical time for high school seniors and college students planning for the coming fall, The Scholarship Academy reported a 40% increase in student requests, particularly among low-income high school seniors and college students in high-need communities across South Fulton, Clayton and DeKalb Counties. Jessica Johnson, executive director of The Scholarship Academy, shared the results of surveys of participants, which found that:

• The average financial aid gap these students faced has been $13,500, while the largest they’ve seen was $25,000.
• About 20% of participants have been current college students seeking help with the financial aid appeals process because of loss of income and only 15% of participants were aware of the financial aid appeal process prior to their first appointment.
• About 90% of students requested support identifying last minute scholarships to close financial aid gaps and 20% of participants signed up for support with FAFSA submission and/or FAFSA verification supports.

Other challenges these students faced included financial aid changes as their family employment and income situations changed, delays in award notifications, increased financial aid gaps, and a large number of scholarship programs extend their deadlines and decisions or suspending their scholarship programming altogether for this year.

As COVID-19 continued to impact students, The Scholarship Academy’s response evolved to includea free mobile app version of the scholarship platform (The Virtual Scholarship Center) and a free financial aid webinar series featuring experts that has educated more than 300 families and college access advisors so far about some of the recent financial aid shifts and the appeals process.

Usher’s New Look

Usher’s New Look transforms the lives of underserved youth through programs that develop passion-driven, global leaders. Its Leadership Academy uses a comprehensive program focused on college and career preparation to achieve this mission. This program operates in metro Atlanta and serves high school youth throughout the region. The majority of participants are non-Hispanic Black (85%) and female (63%); over 30% of the students served have parents with a high school diploma or less.

With the support of the COVID-19 Response and Recovery Fund, Usher’s New Look has created the UNL Virtual Academy (UNLVA), an online platform open to all high-school age youth with targeted recruitment of students in Title I schools in the 23-county region. In an effort to mitigate “COVID-19 Slide,” a loss of learning and motivation that can occur due to the disruption of education, Usher’s New Look is providing a plethora of services through UNLVA, including but not limited to: financial literacy for youth and adults; mental health services; social emotional support; talent exploration; and career exploration.

According to Usher’s New Look executive director Careshia Moore, “launching the UNLVA to support high school students with academic enrichment programming is filling the gaps that were present in the “homeschool” learning environment. Many students lost the individualized attention afforded in a classroom setting and parents were not available or able to provide tutoring or the support it takes to keep youth motivated and engaged. By leveraging this youth centric model, partnerships with Title I schools and collaborative partners, the UNLVA is attracting the attention of high school students in need of academic assistance, personal growth and social-emotional support.”

Thank you to Brenda Colemen, Atlanta CARES; Sam Aleinikoff, College AIM; Amber Scott, Leap Year; Maria Armstrong, Tangee Allen, and Jennifer Warren, Raising Expectations; Keyonia Holland and Jessica Johnson, The Scholarship Academy; and Careshia Moore, Usher’s New Look for providing the information used for this post and all of the work they each do in the community.