LEAF’s 2022 Year in Review
In early 2021, LEAF launched the LEAF Center for College Success (LCCS), creating a structured approach to increasing college enrollment and retention for first-generation students of color.
The LCCS has since recruited and supported over 550 participants, including 289 LEAF Scholars, nearly 50 LEAF Mentors, and over 200 families served this year!
The goal of the LEAF College Success Program is to ensure students are successful as they pursue their goals through higher education. Nationally, graduation rates for low-income, students of color are less than 20% within 6 years. Many of those drop-outs happen during their first year of college.
We are thrilled to report that 91% of our LEAF Scholars are currently enrolled in college this semester!
LEAF believes that peer mentorship is a critical component of ensuring student success and retention in college.
LEAF recruits upper-class college students who mirror the demographics of our Scholars to ensure students receive relevant, culturally responsive advising and support. LEAF Mentors are trained to build meaningful relationships and offer scholars individualized mentorship and support with academic success, navigating financial aid applications, and personal wellness.
As graduating cohorts of the LEAF scholarship continue to grow, LEAF Scholars return to serve as mentors to first-generation college students from East San José!
Our Parent Engagement Program provides tools and resources to parents in order to advocate and guide their children through college.
LEAF believes that families and caretakers can be a critical component of success in higher education for students. We partner with families to discuss the importance of higher education, support them in understanding higher education systems, and work with them to troubleshoot any challenges that come up along the way. Most importantly, we celebrate their dedication and the amazing accomplishments of their LEAF Scholars!
We provide a $250 stipend to parents to honor the time commitment of these workshops and reinforce that they are partners with their children as they navigate higher education.
Our Student Emergency Relief Fund supported Scholars and Mentors struggling to meet basic food and housing needs.
To date, LEAF distributed over $30,000 of funds to help students meet those needs. Donations went directly to students and have been incredibly impactful in keeping them engaged and enrolled in college.