Richmond Hosts Successful Second Annual Every Scholar Everywhere Event

Higher Achievement Richmond scholars are all smiles as they honor champion volunteer, Heidi W. Abbott, and celebrate their commitment to education at the Every Scholar Everywhere event.

June 19, 2013 — Higher Achievement Richmond hosted the second annual Every Scholar Everywhere event on Tuesday, June 4, at the Jepson Alumni Center, University of Richmond, with over 100 community leaders in attendance.  The energetic evening celebrated “commitment” as an essential ingredient to creating lasting change in the lives of underserved, yet motivated young people from Richmond’s low-income Northside and Southside neighborhoods.  Heidi W. Abbott, community volunteer and attorney at Hunton & Williams, was honored for her tireless efforts on behalf of students from Richmond’s underserved neighborhoods. Continue reading →

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Eighth-Grade Induction and 2013 Trailblazers Hike

June 11, 2013 — On Saturday, June 8, 2013, a group of 40 rising eighth-grade scholars, staff, and mentors participated in “Trailblazers”, our first-ever eighth-grade hike and induction ceremony. The group of novice hikers challenged themselves to climb to Annapolis Rock, in Lisbon, Maryland a section of the Appalachian Trail that stretches from Georgia to Maine.

Scholars, Staff, and Mentors surround their cairn.

Overcast skies, remnants of Tropical Storm Andrea, reached the Washington, DC region, but despite a few raindrops the group started the hike.  The trail was 2.5 miles each way, and it had a few strenuous, and muddy inclines, but scholars persevered and they were rewarded with scenic views and clear, sunny skies at the top.

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Higher Achievement hosts Smart College Selection Workshop with Center for Student Opportunity/I’m First!

May 13, 2013 — Higher Achievement hosted a Smart College Selection Workshop for our alumni in high school and their families.

Chelsea Jones from Center for Student Opportunity I’m First

 

Our partner Chelsea Jones from Center for Student Opportunity/I’m First presented the workshop, which covered everything that prospective college students need to consider when selecting the institutions to which they will apply. Chelsea gave a presentation with a special focus on first-generation college students, who often need more support through the process. At Higher Achievement, we prioritize finding colleges for our alumni that best fits their individual needs. As Chelsea explained, this often involves asking detailed questions about each potential college – go deeper than just asking, “are the academics good?” Students should look each institution’s fine points such as class size, extracurricular activities, type of college (liberal arts, private versus public, research university, historically black college or university, etc.), and student life. When asked about the importance of rankings, Chelsea advised the young people to use rankings as a starting point, but what you should be really investigating is how an institution is the “best fit” for you.

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Scholar Snapshots at Richmond

Southside scholars simulate a rollercoaster scene for this “snapshot”

April 11, 2013 – Rollercoasters at Higher Achievement? All it takes is Higher Achievement scholars, a little imagination, and the allure of popsicle prizes on an unseasonably warm spring day in Richmond, Virginia.

Each day during a time called Community Meeting, scholars, staff, and mentors come together at the beginning of Center to collaborate, build culture, and explore. Last week’s community meetings at Higher Achievement Richmond’s Northside and Southside Centers featured a fun, team-building activity called “snapshot.”  For this activity, mentor groups composed of different grade levels teamed up to compete for points based on creativity and the ability to hold their often silly, but silent, poses.  Teams had only 10 seconds to figure out their pose before a “snapshot” of the designated scene was taken. Scholars posed for scenes at the beach, before a school day dismissal, at a football game, on a rollercoaster, during a pop quiz, and at dance party. Cooperation and creativity were essential components of this competition.

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Join us for a Community Event on Global Youth Service Day

April 11, 2013 – Higher Achievement and its scholars are working hard towards giving back to the local community on Global Youth Service Day. Five of our DC Metro AmeriCorps Fellows are planning service-oriented projects with their scholars in the DC Ward where their Achievement Center is located. Come out and support these amazing staff members and our scholars on Global Youth Service Day and sign up for a project listed below.

Ward 1

We will be doing a beautification and landscaping project in front of Marie Reed on April 26th.

Click here for volunteer registration

Ward 4

We will be hosting a book drive through April. All books will be donated to Children’s National Medical Center. Books may be dropped off at our Ward 4 Achievement Center or our DC Metro Office by April 25th.

Click Here for Volunteer Registration

Ward 6

We will be hosting a school supply and book drive. We will also be cleaning up a play room. All proceeds will go to Homeless Children’s Playtime Project. Ward 6 is asking community members to donate high quality school supplies and children’s books April 10th – 24th. On Global Youth Service Day, April 27th, scholars and mentors will drop off donations and clean a HCPP playroom in order to help maintain a safe and clean space for the children to play.

Click Here for Volunteer Registration

Wards 7 & 8

We will be preparing meals and making crafts at Food & Friends to be delivered to their clients on April 22nd, starting at 10am.

Click Here for Volunteer Registration

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