In partnership with Heart of Knoxville high schools, Project GRAD College Access staff works to assist high school students with the myriad of challenges that many minority and low income students face as they prepare for high school graduation and securing access to post secondary opportunities. The school based College Access staff provides a number of key programs and services designed to remove identifiable barriers to college access and success.

Project GRAD Knoxville’s College Access component is designed to provide information, advocacy and support to help empower students to be “College Ready and Life Prepared”. The students are provided personalized support services in the areas of academic review and tutoring, career exploration and readiness, application assistance, scholarship research and acquisition, FAFSA process, college tours, ACT prep workshops, attendance and grade monitoring as well as other interventions to ensure academic success in high school and beyond.

Specific Goals: In support of Knox County Schools 100/90/90/90, College Access has developed and aligned our goals to…

• Increase student achievement
• Increase graduation rates
• Increase PGK scholarships awarded
• Increase college going rates and readiness

College Access Structure

In each high school a support structure has been developed that consists of a College Access coordinator, Academic Advocates and Campus Family Support. This structure under girds the high school’s redesign to small learning communities, provides stronger collaboration with middle to high school transitions (summer bridge program) and strengthens the relationship with parents and the community by being able to better respond to the individual needs of students. A college support coach has been added to help transition students from high school to college/ technical schools.

Scholarship component

At the center of the GRAD high school effort is the guarantee of a college scholarship for all students who qualify. In order to qualify for the $4000 ($1000 per year) scholarship students must sign a contract that stipulates students must complete (2) Summer Institutes, graduate with at least a 2.5 GPA and graduate on time.

Summer Institutes

The Project GRAD Summer Institutes are designed to provide a unique opportunity for students to participate and gain experience in an academic setting. Students are exposed to the academic expectations of college and the personal dimensions needed to succeed as a college student. The institutes also help students think that college is a realistic possibility for them.