Overview
The mission of KIPP NYC has always been to teach our students the academic and character skills they need to succeed in high school, college, and the competitive world beyond and to lead fulfilled and self-sufficient lives. Ever since the first KIPPsters started high school in 1999, we have provided support to our alumni to ensure that they can maintain and build upon the knowledge and skills they developed at KIPP NYC middle schools. With this goal in mind, KIPP NYC formalized its ongoing efforts to support alumni in 2001 and launched KIPP to College (KTC), with its own full-time staff. A comprehensive advocacy and support program, KTC provides academic and personal support, high school and college placement counseling, internship opportunities and career services, and social and cultural enrichment activities.
When students leave KIPP NYC at the end of 8th grade, they are each presented with a plaque that says “KIPP Class of ________,” with the year that they are scheduled to graduate from high school and matriculate to college. KTC’s relationship with and unflagging support for them continues, and when they enroll in college, the KIPP NYC team and family celebrates their accomplishment. Their plaques are hung on the KIPP Wall of Fame underneath a pennant from their college. The wall stands as a permanent record of both the achievement of KIPP NYC alumni and the possibilities open to current KIPPsters.
KTC’s core responsibility is to track, support, and empower all alumni to fulfill their potential for success. KTC staff stay in touch with all alumni. KTC events bring alumni back to campus, as do our academic and personal support and enrichment opportunities. We visit 75-100% of our high school and college students at their schools at least once a year to support them and gain a first-hand understanding of their performance, as well as to build relationships with school administrators. We also rely on phone, e-mail, text-messaging, and instant messaging to communicate with alumni. Outreach staff locate and visit students who are disconnected from KIPP NYC and potentially stalled on the path to success.
Today, KIPP to College is serving over 650 alumni and eighth graders of two schools—KIPP Academy and KIPP STAR. This number grows each year, as we welcome new classes to the ranks of alumni. Beginning in the 2008-2009 school year, when our younger schools—KIPP AMP and KIPP Infinity—reach full capacity to serve 5th through 8th graders, KIPP to College will serve alumni and current 8th graders from all four KIPP NYC middle schools.
