YMCA of Snohomish County 2/22/2017

City of Everett Human Needs Grant January 1 through December 31, 2017 YMCA of Snohomish County My Achievers Program High School & Big Brothers Big Sisters EXHIBIT A: Program Summary Brief description of program: The Everett YMCA My Achievers Program (MAP) was developed to eliminate the achievement gap for students who face daily challenges due to racial/ethnic barriers, immigration status, and socio-economic factors. MAP is unique among the Y's program offerings in that academic success and college readiness are the primary focus for the program, along with developing leadership skills, empathy, social consciousness, and service to others. Our Mission is to motivate and support students of color and immigrant students to achieve higher educational and career goals. Program Components and Structure—MAP consists of well trained and experienced staff meeting with a group of high school students each week to support their academic advancement, career planning and provide general support and enrichment to students. Other program components include: • Parent Support and Involvement: MAP is committed to building strong partnerships with our parents and community to ensure the youth receive the maximum support possible. • Scholarship Opportunities: Through generous donations, the Y provides more than $4,000 in scholarships for our graduating seniors annually. In addition, we work closely with all our youth to identify scholarship opportunities and support them in filling out applications and researching financial aid options. We work with the local colleges to come and speak to our students about the financial aid process and include financial literacy as a component of our curriculum. • Adult/Youth Mentors:The Y believes it is essential for all young people to have a connected and trusting relationship with an adult in addition to family support.Through the program we introduce students to role models who help students make better decisions about higher education and rejecting destructive behaviors and connect our MAP participants to college students, business owners, and other adult professional who are from same/similar cultural backgrounds, and first-generation college students. Big Brothers Big Sisters is one of Snohomish County's largest youth mentoring organizations. We serve children ages 6-18 through both one-to-one mentoring and group programs. The children in our programs face great adversity including; struggling in school, having few significant relationships, being at risk of entering the juvenile justice system and having a tumultuous home life. By offering them a relationship with an adult mentor, we are changing the trajectory of their lives in positive ways, giving them opportunities to not only succeed but also to thrive. Program Components and Structure. BBBS is a prevention-focused youth mentoring organization creating and monitoring safe, nurturing relationships between caring adult volunteers and children between the ages of 6 and 18. Our service is an effective combination of informal friendship and mentoring, backed by superb professional screening, training and supervision.There is no charge to the children or families who receive services from our agency.