Foundation Awards $500,000 Grant to Higher Achievement Program, Inc. (HAP) to Provide Academic Enrichment to Disadvantaged Youth
19 Januar 2006 - 4:56PM
PR Newswire (US)
Funding Expands HAP's Reach; to Open New Alexandria, VA Site
MCLEAN, Va., Jan. 19 /PRNewswire/ -- The Freddie Mac Foundation has
awarded Higher Achievement Program, Inc. (Higher Achievement or
HAP) a $500,000 grant to help expand its after school academic
enrichment program to reach 300 economically disadvantaged youth at
its four Achievement Centers throughout the District of Columbia.
The grant will also enable Higher Achievement to open a new
Achievement Center in Alexandria, VA. "One of the Foundation's main
goals is to open the doors of hope and opportunity for children and
youth. Ensuring children succeed at school will help them succeed
in life," said Maxine B. Baker, president and CEO, Freddie Mac
Foundation. "HAP provides an outstanding academic program that
opens a world of possibilities to children who might otherwise slip
through the system. That's why we are delighted to support HAP in
their efforts to help more children reach their academic potential,
and in the process, make their dreams a reality." With funding and
support from the Freddie Mac Foundation, Higher Achievement will
increase the enrollment at each of its After School Academies from
60 to 75 students, in all reaching 300 children during the school
year. In the summer of 2006, HAP will add an additional 160
students by expanding the DC summer program by 100 and opening a
center in the City of Alexandria to serve an additional 60 middle
school youth, bringing the total number of participants in 2006 to
460. Originally founded in 1975 as a community outreach program at
Gonzaga High School in the District of Columbia, Higher Achievement
now provides year-round rigorous academic training to 300
economically disadvantaged middle school students in Wards 1,4,6
and 7 in the District of Columbia. Higher Achievement currently
operates an After School Academy, Summer Academy and top high
school placement programs. Its four-year academic enrichment
programs combine an academic culture and skills training with
innovative curricula in mathematics, literature, technology,
science and social studies that promote high level academic
mastery. Lessons in all subject areas incorporate Higher
Achievement's four themes: freedom, voice, solidarity, and justice.
Through the discussion of these themes and related activities,
students develop their critical thinking skills and an
understanding of how to apply their education to issues of social
justice. Upon completion of this rigorous academic training, many
of these students advance to top academic programs at public,
magnet private and parochial high schools to further advance their
education. According to Higher Achievement, the lack of inspiring
and challenging out-of-school academic programs coupled with an
overabundance of unsupervised time leads many students to risky
behavior, and as a result, may cause some students to become
disinterested in developing their academic potential. This is
particularly drastic for the middle school age group. Higher
Achievement's innovative, year-round approach to education inspires
students to reach their full potential by providing them with
challenging and hands-on academic enrichment during critical
periods when they are not in school and combines this training with
opportunity: the chance to attend a top high school program. As a
result of their innovative measures, Higher Achievement scholars
mark some of the highest gains in the country with 70 percent of
all "C" (or below) students increased a full letter grade or more
in reading, 68 percent of all "C" (or below) students increased a
full letter grade or more in math, 54 percent of students improved
their standardized reading score with an average increase of 9.5
percent, and 66 percent of students improved their standardized
math score with an average increase of 11 percent during the
2003-2004 program year. Higher Achievement was recognized by
President Bush for their progress earlier this year. "We want to
close the academic achievement gap that exists today by providing
students with a rigorous and innovative academic training and
academic opportunities when they need it most -- during the middle
school years," said Maureen Holla, executive director, HAP. "With
the support of the Freddie Mac Foundation, we will now be able to
help even more students throughout the DC area achieve their
academic goals." The Freddie Mac Foundation is committed to opening
doors to hope and opportunity to children, youth, and their
families. The Foundation does so by supporting non-profits that
strengthen families, prevent child abuse and neglect, find homes
for foster families, and develop youth to their fullest potential.
As part of its youth development efforts, the Foundation supports a
variety of high quality after school and enrichment programs such
as HAP. In 2004, the Freddie Mac Foundation gave $25 million to
help strengthen families and communities in the DC area. Created by
Freddie Mac in 1991, the Freddie Mac Foundation is dedicated to
opening the doors to hope and opportunity for children and their
families. As one of the largest corporate funders in the
Washington, DC metropolitan area, Freddie Mac and the Freddie Mac
Foundation have invested nearly $250 million in organizations
serving the community. http://www.freddiemacfoundation.org/. The
Higher Achievement Program's mission is to develop academic skills,
behaviors, and attitudes in academically motivated and underserved
middle school children to improve their grades, standardized test
scores, and attendance; and increase their educational
opportunities through acceptance to top area high school programs.
To learn more about our programs, visit us online at
http://www.higherachievement.org/. First Call Analyst: FCMN
Contact: DATASOURCE: Freddie Mac Foundation CONTACT: Shawn
Flaherty, +1-703-903-4384, or Jennifer Meyer, +1-703-903-3877, both
of the Freddie Mac Foundation Web site:
http://www.freddiemacfoundation.org/
http://www.higherachievement.org/
Copyright