GOAL: SUCCESS-ACCESS ACADEMIES
May 22, 2017 | By: Alexa Beattie, Town & Style Magazine

Just when young people need it most, ACCESS Academies holds out a steadying hand. Just when they need a future to believe in, ACCESS helps them see their potential. The support the nonprofit offers eases the transition from middle to high school by providing after-school enrichment programs, mandatory summer school and one-on-one mentorship from a school-based Graduate Support Director. ACCESS makes a seven-year commitment to its students, following them through middle and high school and helping with the college application process.

Currently, the nonprofit has academies at three city Catholic schools—St. Louis the King School at the Cathedral, Most Holy Trinity School & Academy and Saint Cecilia School & Academy—with another planned for St. Louis Catholic Academy this fall. Located in the North St. Louis Penrose neighborhood, St. Louis Catholic Academy serves approximately 108 minority students, all of whom qualify for the federal free lunch program.

“Our students have all the challenges every preteen and young teen faces, but these issues often are compounded by the problems of poverty, including underemployment, deteriorating neighborhoods, and family challenges,” explains Bo Mehan, chair of ACCESS Academies’ board of directors. The vast majority of students, all middle schoolers, are the first in their family to have their sights set on college, she says, so having someone there to guide them can make all the difference. The Graduate Support Director, one in each of the three academies, not only helps with the basics of school life, but also forms an emotional bond with students. “By building those relationships in middle school, the directors have a tremendous positive impact,” Mehan says. “It’s the nuts and bolts of school life, but also the belief in their students, that really [makes the program successful].”

Since its founding in 2005, the ACCESS program has dispatched 98 percent of all its eighth-grade graduates to private college-prep high schools such as Nerinx Hall, St. Mary’s, Bishop DuBourg, Notre Dame, Chaminade, Villa Duchesne and Christian Brothers College.

Mehan says ACCESS is “thrilled” to bring the program into St. Louis Catholic Academy, and would love to embed services into more middle schools. but she adds that the nonprofit must be mindful of its budgetary commitment to existing students and graduates. “We spend about $350,000 per year per school, and of course, we cannot risk abandoning our current high school or middle school students by overextending commitments,” she says.

This year, the nonprofit’s biggest fundraiser—the ninth annual ACCESS Academies Scholarship Dinner—is set for June 7 at the Four Seasons Hotel. The event raises money to support high school tuition scholarships for ACCESS graduates. It also offers tuition support to students at De La Salle Middle School, Loyola Academy, and Marian Middle School. More than $600,000 in scholarships will be awarded this year.

Pictured: Board chair Bo Mehan
Photo Courtesy of Lewis Rice

The ACCESS Academies “Give Back” work-study program provides part-time jobs for ACCESS graduates attending private high schools or colleges/universities. Work study participants tutor ACCESS Academies middle school students one-on-one or in small groups after school, and assists with the extended day programs, with the money earned supporting their tuition.

“Give Back” participants learned how to handle greater responsibilities, and developed enhanced communication skills, cultivated individual leadership skills, and managed their time more efficiently. They also expressed more confidence in their academics and willingness to seek out advice and help from teachers, counselors, and other school officials. More importantly though, they learned the values taught by being a part of a community. They became mentors and role models to the middle school students because they came from similar backgrounds and could personally relate to the younger students’ struggles.

At the middle school level, teachers noted that students greatly benefited from the program, and exhibited an improved sense of school community, a renewed sense of academic purpose, increased social and communications skills, more accountability, and better academic performance.

During the 2016-17 school year, 46 participants logged 4,518 hours working with our 153 middle school students. Because of the success of this program, the St. Louis Review published an article titled “Never-give-up attitude prevails at Most Holy Trinity Academy,” which highlighted the benefits of the program.

We are excited to provide our followers with an electronic version of our Spring Newsletter! Click here for a pdf friendly version or scroll down to view it as a web-based publication.

We are excited to recognize Tyra S. for our ACCESS Academies Student Spotlight program!

According to her teachers, Tyra is “a very well-rounded and motivated leader. She is also at the top of her in class in academics.”

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Class of 2021 Receives Letters of Acceptance to Area’s Best College-Prep High Schools

More than 45 eighth grade students served by ACCESS have been accepted to the following private, college-preparatory high schools:

• Bishop DuBourg High School
• Cardinal Ritter College Prep High School
• Christian Brothers College High School
• Chaminade College Preparatory School
• De Smet Jesuit High School
• Incarnate Word Academy
• Lutheran High School North
• Nerinx Hall
• Notre Dame High School
• Rosati-Kain High School
• St. Louis University High School
• St. John Vianney High School
• St. Mary’s High School
• Ursuline Academy
• Villa Duchesne
• Visitation Academy

Since 2005, ACCESS Academies has prepared and propelled 98% of all its 8th grade graduates to private, college-prep high schools.   Once there, ACCESS students receive academic scholarships and support services through the Graduate Support Program.  As a result, 99% of ACCESS students graduate high school on time, and 95% are accepted to a post-secondary institution.

For more information regarding this release, please contact Julie Linder, Director of Communications, by calling 573-268-0639 or emailing [email protected].

We are excited to recognize Saul S. for our ACCESS Academies Student Spotlight program! According to his teachers, Saul is “attentive in class, kindhearted, and an all-around good kid.”

Grade: 7^th

Favorite Teacher: Ms. Vogt

Fondest Memory: A student at St. Cecilia since Kindergarten, Saul’s fondest memory was when he came to the school in kindergarten. “They welcomed me like family. It was fun. I also got to meet some people that were like family.”

Favorite Subject: Science. “I am learning more about things in the world that I didn’t previously know.”

Current Academy Programs: Career & College Club (aka the ACCESS Curriculum), Study Hall, Photography, and Improv.

Favorite Academy Program: Mosaics. “I liked using tools, and we got to make an art piece that we wanted to make.”  Even though it is his favorite program, Saul decided not to take the class this semester so that other kids could have the opportunity to experience what he experienced.

Favorite Field Trip: I enjoyed taking the kindergarten class to a playground and farm. It is a lot of responsibility but fun.

Prospective High School: CBC or SLUH. “I like SLUH because it reminds me of my brother. He went to SLUH and liked it so I think I will like it too.”

Career Aspirations: Computer Programmer so he can help people with their computer problems.

Role Model: His oldest brother. “He’s into video games. He’s the smart one in the family. I kind of look up to him. He is mostly good at everything.”