Mission Statement
EduMaKate is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that partners with and empowers underprivileged high school students to get a college degree and realize their career dreams. We provide career-oriented workplace events, school-based motivational workshops, tools for successfully navigating the college application process, peer-mentoring during the college years and assistance in career placement. We help build confident, insightful, articulate and community-friendly young professionals - one student at a time.
Description
EduMaKate was founded in February 2012, by Vladimir Yelizarov, Arthur Guskayan, and Raul Noriega and was incorporated in New York State exclusively for charitable and educational purposes only. Each one of us attended public high schools in the New York City area, and experienced financial and academic struggle in order to pursue our college and career dreams. We understood the value of a college education and the multitude of career opportunities it can provide; however, many teenagers are 1 st generation college students, and lack the resources necessary to successfully apply for college. In so doing, we formed EduMaKate to empower underserved high school students to achieve a college degree through industry partnerships and fundraising, career-based events at professional settings, mentorship opportunities, internship opportunities, and scholarships.
Our organization name "EduMaKate" is city slang for "teach me something important", a single word that embodies our mission. Our company initials "EMK" stands for "Educate My Kids", which represents our commitment to partner with all stakeholders in education - parents, educators, and community leaders - for the benefit of the students we serve. Our company Motto is "Learn from Yesterday. Live for Today. EduMaKate for Tomorrow.", and it serves as the natural life cycle for students participating in our program. Insight and resources provided by our mentors and professionals give students much needed guidance, which motivates them to boldly pursue their college and career dreams, and inspires them to return as up-and-coming professionals to give back and motivate the next generation of students.
In our second full operating year, EduMaKate has created partnerships with industry leading companies that have strong traditions for philanthropy which include: Goldman Sachs & Co, North Shore LIJ Health System, and O’Melveny & Myers LLP. We have also established relationships with prominent institutions for higher learning which include: The City University of New York, and Columbia University. As of Spring 2014, we have also established three (3) Chapter School programs at New York City Public High Schools - whose diversity student need are aligned with our mission - which include: High School for Arts & Business (Queens, NY), Curtis High School (Staten Island, NY), and Life Sciences Secondary School (New York, NY).
Here is a list of our program accomplishments and impact through 2014:
- Setting up two (2) mentorship events at sports arenas
- Orchestrating five (5) career exploration trips to job sites in various fields
- Coordinating a College Tour program (at Columbia University)
- Developing 14 College and Career Readiness Workshops
- Creating opportunities for 100+ EduMaKate students preparing for college
