Education United States Project #12539

Project: FLIGHT

by 12 PLUS

Project Report | Jan 13, 2014
Project: FLIGHT, 1 Year Later

By The 12+ Team | Project Leader

Dear Friends,

It's hard to believe a year has passed since we first launched Project: FLIGHT--an entire year full of memories and victories and incredible success stories that you made possible with your donations. It's often difficult to truly capture the impact of your contributions, but allow us to try by offering you this news: 100% of all Project: FLIGHT scholarship recipients remain ON TRACK to receive a college degree!

One such recipient is Stephen, a recent high school graduate and 12+ alumni, who just completed his first semester as a freshman at Penn State. His enrollment alone would not have been possible without the scholarship that you helped provide, not to mention the powerful motivation he found through your steadfast belief in him.

Like many students coming from the Philadelphia public school system, his initial transition to college was bumpy. Right from the beginnning, he found it challenging to keep up with the daily rigors of a college education, especially having to start so far behind. Despite this, Stephen refused to give up. He believed he deserved to be there. With the help of the team at 12+, who kept in contact with Stephen after graduation, he was encouraged to look forward, offered useful tips like taking advantage of office hours, and directed to resources available to him on campus such as the student tutoring center. By the end of the semester, Stephen's grades dramatically improved, and now, he feels more confident than ever about accomplishing his goal of becoming a pharmacist.

As our new class of seniors anxiously await for their acceptance letters, we are reminded of the class preceding them, the one responsible for the launch of Project: FLIGHT. Whether it's Elise, who just finished her first semester with a 3.72 GPA, or Yalissa, who finally believes she's found her home at Millersville University, and of course, Stephen, our future pharmacist, the message of Project: FLIGHT has endured long after our students traded their high school graduation caps for college ones: All our students can really fly.

Thank you for your support of our work at 12+. We hope you will continue to partner with us and help us create another year full of amazing stories of flight.

Warmly,
The 12+ Team

Stephen: High School Graduation 2013

Elise: Finished 1st semester with a 3.72 GPA

Yalissa: Happy at Millersville

NEW Seniors!...and PLUS Leaders!

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Sep 20, 2013
Project: FLIGHT Update | New Sept 24. Matching Campaign!

By 12+ | Team

Elise: College Student

Dear Friends,

The summer has passed and a new school year has begun. But before we go into full swing, we celebrate our amazing graduates from the class of 2013, sending them off to their respective colleges to bravely continue their post-secondary education. In turn, we also celebrate the collective effort of their teachers, administrators, family, 12+ team, and all of you who helped make their dreams possible.

Not only did your contributions lessen the burden of our students' tuitions, they helped remove the hidden barriers that prevent many of our students from continuing their education. Whether it was paying for an enrollment deposit, or subsidizing transportation to freshman orientation, or even purchasing books for fall semester, your scholarships sent a powerful message to our students that they are not alone in this journey and that nothing will stop them from obtaining a quality education.

Take Elise for example. Once a student who often skipped school and felt disengaged in class, Elise finished her senior year without missing a single day. Today, she is enrolled at the Indiana University of Pennsylvania studying to become a nurse, looking forward to her future. However, if not for the scholarship she received from Project: FLIGHT she may not have been able to fill the gap in her tuition and financial aid, much less pay for the books and supplies that are needed as a freshman student. Thanks to you, these barriers have not stopped Elise from pursuing her goals.

This year, we have the privilege of launching our 2ND PLUS CENTER at Penn Treaty High School and extending our reach to 400 new students! On TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 24 between the hours of NOON to MIDNIGHT, we partner with GlobalGiving once more, along with Microsoft's Give For Youth, to RAISE FUNDS FOR OUR NEW CENTER. During that date and time, all donations will be MATCHED DOLLAR FOR DOLLAR, thus DOUBLING your impact! We hope you will join us once again on the 24th at http://www.giveforyouth.org/projects/morethanaroom and help make more stories like Elise's a reality.

As always, thank you for your generous contributions to Project: FLIGHT and your ongoing support. We couldn't do it without you.

Warmly,
The 12+ Team

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Jun 5, 2013
Project: FLIGHT | GlobalGiving UPDATE #2

By The 12+ Team | Project Leader

Yalissa R

Dear Friends,

In just a few weeks, our seniors will proudly don their caps and gowns and cross the podium on graduation day with a high school diploma clutched in their hands. That diploma represents much more than the words printed on it. It's a symbol for our students' refusal to succumb to a world full of tremendous adversity; it's their powerful message that they firmly believe in the value of an education; and for many, it represents only the beginning of something truly great.

For the past six months you've joined them in their journey through your generous contributions to PROJECT: FLIGHT. Here's a glimpse of what we've accomplished together at our flagship school in Philadelphia:

Acceptances into top-ranked schools such as Penn State University, Millersville University, and Elizabethtown College
>70% of graduating class on track to attend college (up from 18% just two years ago)
>90% of seniors successfully completed both federal and state financial aid application (FAFSA + PHEAA)
100% of students accepted into 4-year colleges awarded merit-based scholarships
Nearly 40 seniors overall receiving scholarships directly as a result of PROJECT: FLIGHT

As our seniors enjoy their final days in high school, many have already begun to look forward. One such student, Yalissa, captures it best in the personal statement she submitted for college:

"I am confident now more than ever that I am ready to conquer anything that comes my way. I have dreams and ambitions and I look forward to making them become a reality. I believe in the need for a good foundation in order to construct a strong house that will stand no matter how big the storm...Going to college means taking the next step in building that house. I see college as an opportunity and with education comes success"

Defying all odds, Yalissa, along with her peers, will begin the next chapter of her life this Fall. Thank you for being a part of our students' remarkable success stories.

Warmly,
The 12+ Team

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