1994 – 1995
Raising Expectations (RE) came to life after a conversation amongst college friends – one that sparked a desire to support children lacking a vital web of support by creating an after-school program. We believed this foundation of support at an early age was the critical key to helping our youth find success in school and life. After much research, we partnered with a mutual friend who was already tutoring children in Decatur. Raising Expectations was on its way. 1995 – 1997
Two years in, we began to develop an infrastructure. RE continued to work with the original 12 children in the City of Decatur Library, providing academic tutorial support and mentoring activities on the weekend. By the end of 1997, our enrollment had grown to 20 children and youth enrolled in the program. 1998
Raising Expectations received its 501C3 accreditation from the IRS. A focused effort was placed on formalizing our organizational structure and program documentation. At this stage, we moved the program into the Villages of East Lake serving 25 youth. Lane Company, the property management agency for East Lake at the time, donated a town home, which became our service site. Seeking to increase support from the community, RE began to broaden its partnership base by forming relationships with Spelman and Morehouse Colleges. 1999 – 2000
Raising Expectations was now reaching its five-year mark with steady growth and continued programmatic improvements. During this time, we continued working with youth that lived in the Villages of East Lake and saw enrollment increase to 35 students. 2000 – 2003
Raising Expectations assisted with the initial student recruitment for Drew Charter and moved the service site into the new Drew Charter School, increasing enrollment to over 60 youth! Concurrently, volunteer enrollment increased to over 50 dedicated individuals. Raising Expectations earned the Emory University’s Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Community Service Award, Spelman College Sisters Who Serve Award and Morehouse’s Emma and Joe Adams Community Service Award. We appreciated the recognition knowing more work lay ahead. 2004
Our rising 9th grade class included two students accepted into the magnet program at North Atlanta High, as well as three students accepted into private boarding schools on scholarship. Raising Expectations’ Board of Directors was presented with a request from the Magnolia Park Apartments’ management company and the Vine City Civic Association Youth Committee Chairperson to start a service site in the Vine City Community. The Vine City site began with an enrollment of 20 youth after performing street recruitment in the community. That same year, Shanna Stephens-Hampton, one of RE’s first participants, enrolled in Tuskeegee as a first-generation college student! 2005 – 2006
Nearly ten years after its inception, Raising Expectations moved the Vine City program site to Kennedy Middle School and began serving over 50 youth residing in the Westside communities of Atlanta. We were asked by the Pittsburgh Community Improvement Association (P.C.I.A.) to start a Pittsburgh service site. The site began with an enrollment of 15 children. During this time, Raising Expectations also became a recipient of the Clark Atlanta University’s Certificate of Gratitude Award. In 2005, Maria Armstrong, one of Raising Expectations’ two original co-founders, began working with Raising Expectations full time. 2007 – 2008
In 2007, Tangee Allen, Raising Expectations second co-founder, also began working with Raising Expectations full time. During this period, we focused our administrative efforts towards rebranding and marketing the work of Raising Expectations and its impact. Along the way, Raising Expectations received it first grant from United Way and was selected as the Freshman Bonner Service site for Morehouse and Spelman College. Five RE youth enroll in their first year of college at campuses around the country during this fruitful time period. 2009 – 2010
Raising Expectations received a CCF Learning Communities @ SafeHouse Outreach capacity building grant. In addition to participating in a seven-month capacity building consortium, Raising Expectations received funding used to complete the design and copy for its new collateral materials and revamped website. Raising Expectations was also able to purchase nFocus Software’s TraxSolutions Non-Profit Edition – a powerful web-based tracking and outcome measurement solution that helps analyze the services and programs Raising Expectations provides for its communities. One of our original RE kids, Shanna Stephens-Hampton, graduates from Tuskegee University and joins the team as a program coordinator. Our Future
Where do we go from here? Just wait and see. With plans to open additional program sites throughout the city offering children and youth everywhere high quality programs and services, the next 15 years for RE look bright indeed. Our goal is to become a Best Practice model site among youth programs, showcasing how to work as a community-based program while still working in partnership with schools. As we continue to establish key and strategic partnerships to support RE high school students preparing for college, we will also engage colleges and universities to show them how they can best partner with underserved communities to cultivate ideal candidates for their schools – connecting with our RE students interested in a higher education. 1994 – 1995
Raising Expectations (RE) came to life after a conversation amongst college friends – one that sparked a desire to support children lacking a vital web of support by creating an after-school program. We believed this foundation of support at an early age was the critical key to helping our youth find success in school and life. After much research, we partnered with a mutual friend who was already tutoring children in Decatur. Raising Expectations was on its way. 1995 – 1997
Two years in, we began to develop an infrastructure. RE continued to work with the original 12 children in the City of Decatur Library, providing academic tutorial support and mentoring activities on the weekend. By the end of 1997, our enrollment had grown to 20 children and youth enrolled in the program. 1998
Raising Expectations received its 501C3 accreditation from the IRS. A focused effort was placed on formalizing our organizational structure and program documentation. At this stage, we moved the program into the Villages of East Lake serving 25 youth. Lane Company, the property management agency for East Lake at the time, donated a town home, which became our service site. Seeking to increase support from the community, RE began to broaden its partnership base by forming relationships with Spelman and Morehouse Colleges. 1999 – 2000
Raising Expectations was now reaching its five-year mark with steady growth and continued programmatic improvements. During this time, we continued working with youth that lived in the Villages of East Lake and saw enrollment increase to 35 students. 2000 – 2003
Raising Expectations assisted with the initial student recruitment for Drew Charter and moved the service site into the new Drew Charter School, increasing enrollment to over 60 youth! Concurrently, volunteer enrollment increased to over 50 dedicated individuals. Raising Expectations earned the Emory University’s Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Community Service Award, Spelman College Sisters Who Serve Award and Morehouse’s Emma and Joe Adams Community Service Award. We appreciated the recognition knowing more work lay ahead. 2004
Our rising 9th grade class included two students accepted into the magnet program at North Atlanta High, as well as three students accepted into private boarding schools on scholarship. Raising Expectations’ Board of Directors was presented with a request from the Magnolia Park Apartments’ management company and the Vine City Civic Association Youth Committee Chairperson to start a service site in the Vine City Community. The Vine City site began with an enrollment of 20 youth after performing street recruitment in the community. That same year, Shanna Stephens-Hampton, one of RE’s first participants, enrolled in Tuskeegee as a first-generation college student! 2005 – 2006
Nearly ten years after its inception, Raising Expectations moved the Vine City program site to Kennedy Middle School and began serving over 50 youth residing in the Westside communities of Atlanta. We were asked by the Pittsburgh Community Improvement Association (P.C.I.A.) to start a Pittsburgh service site. The site began with an enrollment of 15 children. During this time, Raising Expectations also became a recipient of the Clark Atlanta University’s Certificate of Gratitude Award. In 2005, Maria Armstrong, one of Raising Expectations’ two original co-founders, began working with Raising Expectations full time. 2007 – 2008
In 2007, Tangee Allen, Raising Expectations second co-founder, also began working with Raising Expectations full time. During this period, we focused our administrative efforts towards rebranding and marketing the work of Raising Expectations and its impact. Along the way, Raising Expectations received it first grant from United Way and was selected as the Freshman Bonner Service site for Morehouse and Spelman College. Five RE youth enroll in their first year of college at campuses around the country during this fruitful time period. 2009 – 2010
Raising Expectations received a CCF Learning Communities @ SafeHouse Outreach capacity building grant. In addition to participating in a seven-month capacity building consortium, Raising Expectations received funding used to complete the design and copy for its new collateral materials and revamped website. Raising Expectations was also able to purchase nFocus Software’s TraxSolutions Non-Profit Edition – a powerful web-based tracking and outcome measurement solution that helps analyze the services and programs Raising Expectations provides for its communities. One of our original RE kids, Shanna Stephens-Hampton, graduates from Tuskegee University and joins the team as a program coordinator. Our Future
Where do we go from here? Just wait and see. With plans to open additional program sites throughout the city offering children and youth everywhere high quality programs and services, the next 15 years for RE look bright indeed. Our goal is to become a Best Practice model site among youth programs, showcasing how to work as a community-based program while still working in partnership with schools. As we continue to establish key and strategic partnerships to support RE high school students preparing for college, we will also engage colleges and universities to show them how they can best partner with underserved communities to cultivate ideal candidates for their schools – connecting with our RE students interested in a higher education. |
