Program Brief - Viking Leaders

2006

In partnership with Salem State University, and with lead support from the Stratford Foundation, YEA is helping students from Madison Park High School gain admission to college and prepare for a successful transition.

Students attend bi-weekly workshops at Madison Park where they learn about budgeting for college expenses, time management for coursework, adjusting to college academic norms, seeking support services, and handling independence. At Salem State, students enroll in the Learning Center, whose mission is to recruit, support, and retain historically underrepresented college populations.

Students are also assigned to cohorts that create a regular support system from their home communities. This has proven to be a critical factor for many first-generation college students - the profile of 90% of YEA's Viking Leaders.

While YEA was not designed to be a "college preparatory" program, over 80% of our graduates to-date do go on to college - four times the rate of their high school peers! YEA is proud to help our students take this next step on the road to success.