Project OneTen Awarded National Grant to Empower Boys of Color Succeed in High School
Chicago, IL (January 12, 2023) — Project OneTen, a local nonprofit organization dedicated to strengthening the academic foundation for boys of color, is proud to announce a significant investment from the NewSchools Venture Fund. The unrestricted grant, totaling $150,000, will allow Project OneTen to serve a greater number of students by preparing them for the academic and social rigor of their freshman year of high school.
“We are honored to be selected as a member of the Racial Equity portfolio at NewSchools. Project OneTen is excited to increase our outreach to serve even more students as they embark on an exciting, yet often challenging, time in their lives,” said Dirrick Butler, Founder and Executive Director, Project OneTen. “For boys of color in Chicago, the transition from eighth grade to high school often carries additional pressures and stressors that impact their ability to build a strong foundation for academic success. Our organization aims to uncover and sharpen the unique skills, talents, and innate genius of our young leaders by empowering them with the tools to achieve academic success during their first year of high school.”
Project OneTen’s Freshman Success Program is a yearlong cohort-based mentorship program held during the participant’s first year of high school. This selective program provides each student with a dedicated mentor, an academic coach, a supportive cohort of peers, a community of volunteers, and partners from across the city all actively rooting for their success.
The grant from NewSchools Venture Fund was made possible through a process that shifts grantmaking power to a diverse council of parents, students, and educators who brought their own experiences, ideas, and concerns to discussions about what solutions are needed at this moment. The funded organizations are taking innovative approaches to disrupt racial inequities and advance the well-being and achievement of students in Black, Latino, and Indigenous communities across the country.
In addition to funding, Project OneTen will receive management assistance support from NewSchools Venture Fund and will join a national community of practice focused on advancing racial equity solutions.
Media Contact:
Jennifer Marshall
jmarshall@cs-effect.com
847-476-2734
About Project OneTen
Project OneTen provides essential and holistic programming to support Black and Latino boys in achieving academic success when transitioning from eighth grade to high school. Through mentorship, academic coaching, and workshops that focus on cognitive skill development, social and emotional learning, self-awareness, Project OneTen seeks to create an environment where Black and Latino/x students can learn to recognize and engage with supportive leaders and peers, identify support when they need help, and feel empowered to lead on their high school campuses and beyond. For more information about Project OneTen visit www.projectoneten.org
About NewSchools Venture Fund
NewSchools Venture Fund is a national nonprofit that supports and invests in promising teams of educators and innovators who want to reimagine learning. NewSchools helps teams accomplish their missions to achieve outstanding results for the schools, students and educators they serve. NewSchools is committed to helping students graduate high school prepared and inspired to achieve their most ambitious dreams and plans. Through its investing, management assistance, network building, and thought leadership, NewSchools helps to reimagine PreK-12 education.