Student U

High school program:student u's high school program serves students and their families in durham public schools through a five-week summer academy, a twice-a-week tutoring program during the school year, an in-school advocate, and an internship program for rising 11th and 12th graders. Students attend monthly cluster meetings with peers from their school, u-prep saturdays for interactive workshops for both students and families on succeeding in high school and preparing for college, and college-bound activities and advising in 11th and 12th grade.

W.g. Pearson center partnerships program:in 2017, the w.g. Pearson center was acquired and renovated by an affiliate of the self-help ventures fund. Student u became the master tenant of the space in 2018 and has remained committed to keeping the center a youth-centered space that houses activities and programs designed to enrich the lives and outcomes of young people and the surrounding historic hayti community. To accomplish these commitments, student u subleases portions of the center and its grounds to other nonprofit organizations aligned with these goals. Student u also plans to partner with additional organizations to utilize the kitchen space to support food businesses that actively work to address food insecurity in 2024.

College programming:student u's college program provides academic, social-emotional, and financial support for students during their college years. Staff support students through in-person meetings on campus, phone check-ins, topic-focused retreats, and connections to on-campus resources. Families of college students receive support during the advising, enrollment, and transition periods through workshops that educate parents on the road ahead and ways they can support their children.sharing best practices:while we may not be able to serve every student in durham directly, our ability to share what we've learned allows us to expand our impact in durham and beyond. Through our sharing best practices initiatives, we work to ensure our knowledge and insights are accessible to durham public schools, practitioners, and other key stakeholders, while also preparing our teacher alumni to take on leadership roles in the community. We provide additional training and consulting to partners in these key areas.student and family support services:student u supports student and family-led advocacy and change efforts in our city and beyond through ongoing engagement and regular programming. We develop strategic partnerships to help parents and students build the skills they need to shape their futures.