Mission

Raising Expectations empowers youth in crises by elevating academic, social and civic expectations to facilitate high school graduation and post-secondary plans.

What We Do

RE STEM based programs serve 2nd-12th grade school aged children that encounter challenges academically, behaviorally and socially through a myriad of school year and summer programs. Over 96% of RE students that remain in programs not only graduate high school but gain acceptance into post-secondary institutions of learning or certification programs.

Westside Story
The neighborhoods that comprise the westside of Atlanta (Vine City, English Avenue, Washington Park, Ashview Heights, Westview, West End and the Boone & Hollowell Corridor) are experiencing renewed interest and immense investments from the business, nonprofit, higher education, philanthropic and government sectors in an effort to improve and revitalize the conditions of these neighborhoods. RE has been and continues to be involved in a broad range of conversations around improving educational outcomes for Westside children and youth. RE staff not only serve on committees led by the Arthur M. Blank Foundation, Spelman College, Ivan Allen College at Georgia Tech but also have spearheaded and created initiatives around improving the state of education on the Westside of Atlanta. Additionally, RE was selected as one of six organizations to receive strategic capacity building support through the Arthur M. Blank Westside Momentum grant. Other major funding partners include the Chick-fil-A Foundation, Wells Fargo, Georgia Power, Fulton County and IBM just to name a few.

Our Model
RE operates 3 school year programs in the Washington High School cluster of schools on the Westside of Atlanta: 1) Project DREAM (Developing Raised Expectations for Adolescent Minds), which engages students in grades 3rd-8th with academic-focused tutorial and enrichment programming 4 days per week after school, and 1 weekend per month; 2) Project STEMWARE (Science, Technology, Engineering & Math While Accomplishing Raised Expectations) which provides youth in grades 9-12 with a robust STEM-curriculum, interactive workshops, career shadowing and hands-on STEM enrichment lessons; and 3) Summer Pathfinder Programs which include both Project RISE and YouthWork offer high quality summer programs for school aged youth. Project Restart which serves young adults between the ages of 16-24 in need of additional support to graduate, and develop and implement plans of action for their futures. Participants receive life and college coaching, resources and support to identify and take advantage of educational, training and employment opportunities.

Unique Characteristics
* Longitudinal Model (long-term consistent engagement)
* Holistic 360 Degree Youth Development Approach
* Family & Community Engagement
* Individualized Post-Secondary Planning
* Cultural & Experiential Exposure (including global experiences)
* Life Skills & Social Advocacy Promotion
* Mentorship & Academic Enrichment
* Longstanding Community Partnerships