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Grades 7-12 CSF-DC Scholars

As CSF-DC has transitioned away from the secondary schools’ portion of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation grant, we have reviewed the success of our program over the past 11 years and determined how we can continue to improve the outcomes for the students we continue to serve in Wards 7 and 8.

Under the Gates grant, we were focused on noncognitive skills development. Enhancements to our program included a heavy focus on cognitive skills development through academic preparedness for grades 7 through 12.

As we have moved away from having a scholarship to award to our students, we are now focused on preparing them to be better consumers of the various scholarships that are available to them. We have found that there is scholarship money being left on the table each year. We want our students to know how to find that money and to be academically prepared to compete for the various scholarships available.

We have developed a guided pathway of integrated supports and services to help students complete high school, graduate from college and enter into careers.  

Unfold the About link to learn more about components of the pathway.

The Academic Year Program provides 500 select middle and high school students with individualized/differentiated support through a case management system to ensure grade-level progression to high school graduation and immediate transition into college. The program includes academic advisement, counseling and college-readiness support leading to post-secondary study and success in life. 

A resident College Preparatory Advisor (CPA) monitors students’ academic performance, school and program attendance and participation in the “life of the school.” “Life of the school” advisement encourages student participation in special school-level clubs and organizations, athletics, music/band, honors clubs and societies, and community service. 

CPAs schedule monthly one-on-one meetings with students to monitor grades and attendance, provide referrals for academic and developmental support, and develop individual academic success plans to ensure that each student is adequately prepared to make the transition from high school to college. CPAs also schedule monthly workshops to address “habits of mind” and social/emotional development issues. 

In addition to the case management and advisement processes, students are provided with college admission, financial aid and scholarship identification support and assistance. They are also offered opportunities to participate in college tours and career readiness activities (job shadowing opportunities, cultural activities and career workshops).

The CSF-DC Saturday Academy Program is designed as an Expanded Learning Opportunity (ELO) for 300 students in grades 7 through 12 to ensure satisfactory academic performance in school. The program provides weekend enrichment and homework help in English, math and STEM (coding and Microsoft) and ensures college readiness by providing SAT test preparation instruction and mock-testing. 

Research indicates that regular participation in quality expanded learning opportunities (ELOs), activities that take place in the after-school setting or on weekends, can help keep older youth on a positive academic trajectory and support their successful graduation and transition into college and/or career (Harris, Deschenes, & Wallace, 2011). This is particularly important for students at risk of falling behind academically and those attending low-performing schools. Additionally, the research is clear that expanded learning opportunities keep students focused on academics and not on the distractions that can be present in an urban or big city environment. 

The Saturday Academy operates for 20 Saturdays during the academic school year, and students are engaged in learning options from 8:30 a.m. until 3 p.m. Students are mandated to participate if their course-level grades in English and mathematics fall below a 2.0 GPA.

Parent University, CSF-DC’s community outreach initiative, helps parents, guardians and other members of our students’ youth development circle to understand the benefits of participation and citizenship in CSF-DC programming while simultaneously helping families eliminate housing, adult education, healthcare, workforce readiness and other social services issues and needs. CSF-DC’s Parent University specifically targets the needs of caregivers and is anchored within the families in our existing schools.

Unlike many other parent outreach programs, CSF-DC’s Parent University is an opportunity for parents, guardians and others to participate in their child’s educational journey and meet their own social, emotional, economic and environmental support needs at the same time. Parent University programming takes place monthly throughout the academic year at the CSF-DC headquarters and in parent-friendly locations (schools, community centers and HUD communities) that are metro accessible and conveniently located near our parents’ homes or school communities. Parent University programming takes place on the weekends on Saturdays (generally 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. ) during hours that align with time off from work. 

The program format includes a plenary session followed by breakout learning or work sessions. The breakout sessions are facilitated by community and social services agencies and partners and are designed to be “one-stop” support vehicles where parents and others can solicit services and information to meet their unique needs and concerns. Community partners in this enterprise include: adult education providers, housing and social service providers, health and wellness groups, workforce and employment agencies, child and family services providers, and college and career experts.

A key component of our work is mentoring. Research indicates that effective mentoring is one of the most powerful relationships for influencing human behavior. We believe that mentoring should be on a one-on-one basis. We provide a staff advisor for all of our college students throughout their college career as one of the keys to ensuring that they earn four-year degrees.

We also work with our university partners to ensure that our students are provided with a college mentor, academic advisor or other staff contact to provide additional on-campus support.

CSF-DC Assistant Program Officers (APOs) provide college students with remote differentiated matriculation and advisement support via a case management system, support on-site/on-campus academic and campus engagement monitoring visits, assess Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) monitoring, and provide career planning assistance. 

APOs support transcript/document check-in meetings, winter consultation seminars, internship and pre-professional planning meetings, summer matriculation clearance and progression check-in meetings. They also help students to develop three-year career plans. These career plans are monitored for 24 months following college graduation to ensure students have successfully transitioned/entered the workforce or graduate/professional school.

If you are a CSF-DC Scholar who is interested in attending summer session, learn about and apply for CSF-DC’s Summer Session Scholarship Award.

School Programs

Grades: 7 through 12
Enrollment: 100 students per grade, with programming to begin with SAEP (up to 500 students)
Schools: Middle — Hart, Kramer, Kelly Miller and Sousa

College Programs

Levels: Freshman year to post baccalaureate
Enrollment: 100 students per level (not to exceed 600 college students total) 
Schools: 120 colleges and universities across the country

Pathway Supports

School Programs Pathway Support by Grade:

Grade 7 — recruitment, candidate identification, interviews, orientation, testing and enrollment into SAEP.

CSF-DC’s college readiness program begins in 7th grade when students’ grades, attendance rates and level of school engagement have a major impact on their ability to complete high school and position them to be successful in post-secondary education. 

Grade 8 through 11 — case management and advisement every four weeks, monthly group meetings, college and career seminars offered quarterly, mandatory participation in NMQT testing, one college and career field trip per semester, career investigation (career interest inventories), and expanded learning options to include participation in saturday academy, SAT test preparation, and special programming. Career interest inventories required/mandated at grades 10 and 11.

Grade 12 — case management and advisement every 4 weeks, monthly group meetings, college and career seminars offered quarterly, mandatory participation in SAT testing, one college and career field trip per semester, and expanded learning options to include participation in saturday academy, SAT test preparation, college readiness and transition seminars, application support to apply for admission to at least three colleges/universities, financial aid and scholarship investigation workshops (college application and financial aid review), final career interest inventory and major selection/course of study, match and fit consultation and special programming. Summer transition meetings with CPA and APO staff are required.

College Programs Pathway Support by Undergraduate Level

Levels: Freshman year to post baccalaureate
Enrollment: 100 students per level (not to exceed 600 college students total) 
Schools: 120 colleges and universities across the country

College Programs Pathway Support by Level:

Senior year of high school — transition assistance, support and clearance meetings

Freshman year through junior/senior summer — case management and remote differentiated advisement and support, progress and academic tracking/monitoring, student schedule and transcript/document check-in meetings, winter consultation seminars and meetings, SAP reviews, internship and pre-professional planning meetings, and summer matriculation clearance and check-in meetings.

Senior year — final tier-two career interest inventory and advising, three-year career plan, exit interviews, graduation celebration, and enrollment into the CSF-DC Alumni Association.

Notes: Given these school and college programs and services menus, it is important that each section of the CSF-DC school to career pathway is adjusted and aligned by time to realize appropriate service delivery outputs and achieve expected student outcomes. To this end, these individual services and tasks must be framed within the timelines established for the public and public charter schools in the District of Columbia and the relevant quarter/semester timelines of our partner colleges and universities. It should be anticipated that these timelines will vary from year to year as district and university calendars and planning decisions are made.

Dear Parents or Guardians,

On behalf of College Success Foundation-District of Columbia (CSF-DC), we invite your child to join us on the journey to college success through his/her participation in the College Success Foundation Scholars Program. The College Success Foundation Scholars Program is designed to increase college awareness, academic readiness and access to opportunities and improve graduation rates for African-American, Latinx, and other underserved, low-income and first-generation students who live in Wards 7 and 8 in Washington, DC. At present, the College Success Foundation Scholars program operates in two middle schools and six high schools: Hart and Kramer Middle Schools, Anacostia Senior High School, Ballou Senior High School, H.D. Woodson Senior High School, Friendship Collegiate Academy, Maya Angelou-Evans Campus Public Charter School, and Thurgood Marshall Academy Public Charter High School.

College Success Foundation Scholars program middle school, high school and college support advisors provide counseling, academic assistance and advocacy support for students and their families to ensure that all participating students develop the “habits of mind” and intelligent behaviors necessary to realize their college and career goals.

Beginning as early as grade 7 and continuing through college graduation, the College Success Foundation Scholars program team provides a comprehensive series of supports designed to ensure high school graduation, guarantee college admission, support college progression/matriculation, increase college graduation rates, and foster post-graduate career and leadership development opportunities. The College Success Foundation Scholars program provides support directly in school communities to ensure the resources necessary to help students build their academic and leadership competencies are in place, readily available and appropriately administered.

Through a unique system of integrated academic advisement, scholarship packaging and college supports, the College Success Foundation Scholars program provides customized assistance and wrap-around supports for students in the following areas:

  • Academic advising
  • After-school enrichment
  • Saturday academies for middle school and high school
  • College tours
  • Summer academic enrichment programs
  • Test preparation and information
  • Financial aid and scholarship identification and packaging
  • In-house and partner-funded scholarships
  • College admission support
  • Advisement and coaching (college supports)
  • Enrollment management guidance
  • Career Advisement

We invite your son/daughter to join the program and, together, we will make the dream of a college degree possible! Please review the application documents and materials carefully before submission.

Applications are now closed.
Please check back in August 2023.

The completed application should be reviewed by parent(s)/guardian(s), teacher(s) or advocate(s) before submission. We look forward to supporting your child on this amazing journey! If you have any questions or need additional information, please contact Ms. Barrie Jacob, Program Associate, CSF – DC Scholars Program, at 202-207-1800.

Eligibility

  • Must attend one of the schools listed below:
    • Anacostia High School
    • Ballou High School
    • Friendship Collegiate Public Charter School
    • H.D. Woodson High School
    • Maya Angelou-Evans Campus PCS
    • Thurgood Marshall Academy
    • Kramer Middle School
    • Charles Hart Middle School
    • Kelly Miller Middle School
    • Sousa Middle School
  • Must show academic promise (at least a C+ or better in one of the following subjects: reading, English/language arts, math, science, social studies); be willing to work hard, stay in school, participate in all planned activities and events; and promise to graduate from high school on time (with his/her class)
  • Must reside in Washington, DC in Ward 7 or 8
  • Must have a family income for 2019 that does not exceed the amount listed below:

Family Size        Gross Annual Income

Family of 1        $33,000

Family of 2        $43,500

Family of 3        $53,500

Family of 4        $64,000

Family of 5        $74,000

Family of 6        $84,000

Family of 7        $86,000

Family of 8        $88,000

Family of 9        $90,000

Family of 10      $92,000

Application and Supporting Documents Checklist

    • Complete application in its entirety (do not leave anything blank)
    • After your application is submitted, the following documents will be requested:
  • Income Verification
        • Tax Filers (one of the following):
          • 2021 D-40 Processed Tax Return from the Office of Tax and Revenue (OTR) located at 1101 4th Street SW
          • 2021 D-40 Processed Tax Return Extension with 2014 Certified D-40 Processed Tax Return from OTR
        • Non-Tax Filers (one of the following):
          • 12-month (Jan-Dec 2021) SNAP Statement
          • 12-month (Jan- Dec 2021) Child Support Document
          • 12-month (Jan- Dec 2021) Retirement/Annuity Document
          • 12-month (Jan- Dec 2021) Social Security Disability Income (SSDI) or Social Security Income (SSI) Statement
          • 12-month (Jan- Dec 2021) Unemployment Benefits or Worker’s Compensation Disability Statement
          • Ward of the Court Letter (dated for 2021)
  • Residency Verification
    • Current residency bill (one of the following-not more than 45 days old with name, date and address portion):
      • Utility bill (gas, water, cable, electric, landline phone) – no cell phone bills
      • Bank or mortgage statement
      • Pay stub (name, date, and address section)
      • Statement from a landlord or rental office letterhead stating utilities are included in rent

Once CSF- DC has verified eligibility (including income and residency), the student will be invited to an interview that will take place at their school.

The Summer Academic Enrichment Program (SAEP) is a six-week expanded learning opportunity designed to address “summer melt” (learning loss) and college readiness by keeping young people actively engaged in project-based learning. SAEP includes instruction in English, mathematics, coding, Microsoft certification, SAT test prep and the arts. The program operates Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., with Fridays reserved for college tours, field trips and cultural activities.

Part-time high school and college faculty and “near peer coaches” (college students) provide instruction and support for approximately 300 students annually. SAEP culminates with a “gallery walk,” an opportunity for students to present their capstone projects and showcase student work, thinking and project designs.

Click here to register for SAEP

If you have any questions, or need any help please email us.