Looking for information on our Challenge Grant Campaign with the Brinn Foundation? Just click play on the video below. Have your contribution to CR21 be matched, dollar-for-dollar, with the gracious support of the Elizabeth A. Brinn Foundation. All new or increased donations to CR21 are matched through June 30th!
In 2002, WFIC created College Readiness 21 (CR21) to help prepare needy students for entry into college. Currently, CR21 works closely with nearly 500 low-income, first generation and minority youth to build and reach the dream of finishing high school and going to college. To date, 100% of CR21 students who remained with the program for two or more years have completed high school; of these, 89% have enrolled in college.
CR21 is an effective long-term solution that allows students to access countless educational, professional, and personal opportunities. By transforming the lives of our students, their families, and successive generations, CR21 empowers students to take ownership of their futures.
Students begin CR21 programming the summer before their freshman year and remain in the program until high school graduation. By engaging students early on, CR21 ensures that they will be well prepared to succeed in and graduate from high school, move on to college, and, most importantly, complete college.
CR21 programming is facilitated by CR21 staff, qualified instructors, and College Coaches. College Coaches are students at area colleges who are selected based on their strengths in important academic disciplines such as math, science, English, and the social sciences. College Coaches serve as tutors, mentors, and role models for CR21 students. Coaches are work study eligible and nearly all of them are also first generation college students.
CR21 activities are designed to address all aspects of college preparation. CR21 offers the following services:
- Monthly Campus Visits where students receive academic enrichment, tutoring, life skills training, admissions counseling, and financial aid/scholarship advising. Students also have the opportunity to tour the college campus.
- Weekly Tutoring Sessions during the academic year (conducted by College Coaches).
- Summer Institute, an academic enrichment program at which students spend five days living on a college campus (for freshmen and sophomores).
- College Tour, a five day exploratory trip to Wisconsin colleges (for juniors and seniors).
- Monthly Standardized Test Preparation sessions for juniors and seniors (conducted by certified high school teachers who specialize in standardized test preparation).
- Career Showcase, a career exploration event at which diverse professionals from Wisconsin companies share first-hand information and lend advice about career options.
- College Explosion, a college fair that is attended by over 1,000 students, parents, and college representatives each year.
- Transition-to-College Camp for graduating seniors, which teaches students to deal with several college-related topics such as choosing a college major, taking advantage of college resources, budgeting, and time management.
- Senior Workshop, a program that aids seniors with last-minute college prep work.