Mission Statement
We envision the day when every young person has the academic and personal skills to succeed in high school, college, and life.
To realize this vision, we focus our efforts on one mission: to provide resources and learning experiences that empower at-risk youth to take the next step toward higher education.
Description
DiscoverU provides essential program services to combat three obstacles that traditionally prevent low-income youth from participating in FLOs: lack of information, lack of effective support and guidance, and lack of financial resources. Through a multi-tiered, solutions-oriented approach, DiscoverU ensures that its high school and community-based partners are well-equipped to overcome each of these obstacles and connect deserving students to FLOs DiscoverU’s program services include:
1. Access to Information: We identify, evaluate, and organize information about FLOs in a portfolio for schools to use in education and recruitment efforts. Our portfolio includes close to 60 high-quality programs that address the diversity of students' interests, aptitudes and developmental needs.
2. FLO Program Capacity Building: Participation in a FLO is incredibly educational. Yet, there are multiple phases before and after FLO participation that are equally educational. To ensure students gain the full benefit of FLO participation, DiscoverU supports FLO Coordinators with comprehensive training and technical assistance, to educate students about FLOs, support their application and successful completion of FLOs, and leverage their experiences to prepare for college.
3. Financial Assistance: Many FLOs have tuition and/or travel costs that range from $50 to $3,000 depending on the magnitude of the FLO, its location, and duration. We support students with partial, needs-based financial assistance to attend FLOs. The process for acquiring financial assistance mirrors the processes students and their families will encounter when applying for financial aid and scholarships for college.
