April 5, 2006
Rollins College and Fern Creek Elementary School are pleased to announce their selection by the Foundation for Excellent Schools (FES) to be part of The Century Program (TCP). With a $1 million seed grant from the W. K. Kellogg Foundation, FES launched TCP in fall 2003 and now involves 100 public schools in high-need communities, partnering with more than 100 colleges nationwide. Rollins is the only 4-year institution in Florida to participate in TCP.
Each TCP partnership targets at least 100 under-served students, designated “TCP Scholars,” through a series of interactions that address five core practices: mentoring, college awareness, goal setting, leadership through service and family partners. The goal of TCP is to assist children in improving academic performance, raising aspirations, developing personal and academic goals and ultimately ensuring that they take "one more step" toward a high school diploma and college matriculation.
Rollins students will be working with and mentoring Fern Creek TCP Scholars throughout this semester through a series of lessons on college awareness, goal setting, leadership and service. On April 18, more than 100 Fern Creek students and parents will visit Rollins and take part in “Pathways to College Day.” TCP Scholars will take a class taught by Rollins faculty, meet Rollins students and experience the richness of campus life.
“We are both pleased and excited to be part of this wonderful program,” said Micki Meyer, director of community engagement and instructor of the Pathways to College course. “Our students are eager to share their college experience with Fern Creek TCP Scholars and are interested to learn how to continue sustainable engagement with a group of children throughout their time at Rollins.”
Developed in 1991, FES is a nonprofit organization that collaborates with public schools in high-need communities to excite children in raising student aspirations and performance by developing innovative partnerships among schools and between schools and colleges.
Since its inception, FES has helped more than 140,000 students in 350 schools nationwide earn higher grades and scores on standardized tests, graduate from high school, pursue post-secondary opportunities and make meaningful contributions to their schools and communities.
President and Founder of FES Rick Dalton said, “FES is honored to be working with Rollins College and Fern Creek Elementary School, and we see the partnership as groundbreaking on many fronts. Clearly this partnership is a win-win endeavor that benefits everyone involved.”
