Local nonprofit honored by White House invitation

College Possible, whose local office is at 540 Fairview Ave. N., has announced an ambitious growth plan, including expanding services to Philadelphia, at a recent White House gathering. The summit, jointly-led by the First Lady’s office and officials from the National Economic Council, the Domestic Policy Council and the Department of Education, addressed stark class disparities among college students and graduates. College Possible, an organization working across the country to coach low-income students to-and-through college, has served local students since 2001.

“Educating Minnesota’s capable low-income students is not only the right thing to do; it is the only way to maintain a strong local workforce in a competitive global economy. The community has embraced our mission, directly contributing to the strong results that have led us to the doors of the White House,” explained College Possible Twin Cities Executive Director, Sara Dziuk.

In the Twin Cities, College Possible is poised to grow. The program has expanded to partner with 20 high schools, and an additional 20 high schools are on a waiting list eager to welcome College Possible.

President Obama described the summit as part of an effort to “make sure that this is a country where if you work hard you can make it.”

College Possible received attention in November when Harvard University released historic results from a study using randomized controls, considered to be the gold standard of evaluation. The findings show that College Possible’s approach to unlocking the potential of low-income students is effective and that students served are significantly more likely to enroll in a four year college.

College Possible’s approach is designed to connect students to the college that best matches their abilities at a fraction of the cost of other college success programs. College Possible has served 10,000 students this year in the Twin Cities community.