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The Background of Our Program

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We are a Community-based Organization, based in Marietta, Georgia partnering with schools, school districts, and faith- and other community-based organizations throughout the United States. We also partner with colleges and programs like QuestBridge, LEDA, Posse, and The Gates Scholarship Program. Our foundation was founded by Mychal and Nina Wynn to provide college planning guidance and support for expanding college access and minimizing student loan debt for any student, but particularly for students from lower income families and those who will be the first in their family to attend college. In 2020, our partnership with Guilford County Schools (NC), focused on first generation, lower income, and refugee students received the 2020 Magna Award from the the National School Boards Association.

In the summer of 2018, we began our partnership with Pinellas County Schools through a collaboration with Dr. Lewis Brinson, the PCS Minority Achievement Officer, with the introduction of our College Planning Boot Camp for rising high school seniors. Students from that first boot camp were not only offered admission to such in-state universities as FAMU, Florida State, University of Florida, and the University of Miami, but also to such schools as Amherst College, Morehouse College, William College, Swarthmore College, and Texas A&M Corpus Christi. Over the years, PCS students have been offered admission to and selected for such highly selective colleges and programs as:

Amherst College • Claflin University Honors College • FAMU Honors Program • Florida State • Jack Kent Cooke Scholar • Johns Hopkins • North Carolina A&T Honors College • Northeastern University • QuestBridge • University of Chicago • University of Florida • University of South Florida Honors College • St. Petersburg College • Swarthmore College • Williams College • Yale Young Global Scholars Program 

What makes our program unique is that our focus is not simply expanding college awareness but guiding students in developing a holistic set of strategies throughout their 7-year middle school through high school progression across such areas as choosing their high schools and programs; course taking; pursuing leadership and service; developing their gifts and talents; and setting goals to make themselves competitive applicants for being offered admission to selective colleges and being awarded competitive scholarships. While less than 2% of all students are attending college on a full scholarship (Source: ThinkImpact), the strategic planning engaged in by students in our program has resulted in unparalleled success with nearly 50% of participating students being offered full scholarships each year. In our Class of 2023, students were offered full scholarships to Benedict College, Brown University, Claflin University, Tuskegee University, University of South Carolina – Columbia, Vassar College, Williams College, Winthrop University, and Xavier University of Louisiana.

Now, in our 5th year, our PCS program has expanded to not only provide college planning guidance, but to cover such topics as learning styles, personality types, multiple intelligences, temperament, mindset, and grit. However, like our college planning program, our goal is not to simply introduce students to these topics, but to guide students in developing strategies that are implemented through learning style, time management, and study skills plans.

This expansion has resulted in middle school and high school students learning how to implement our 3 pillars of scholarship, leadership, and service within the context of their personality, gifts, talents, and college/career aspirations. Middle school students have applied to some of Pinellas County School’s most rigorous programs such as the CAT Program at Lakewood High School; IB Program at St. Petersburg High School; and Pinellas County Center for the Arts at Gibbs High School, and have pursued leadership roles in school-based organizations, athletic teams, and in the marching band as noted in Who I Am: Vol IV – My Goals.

What Others are Saying

In the video presented below, 8th graders share their middle school boot camp experiences and provide insight into the enormous amount of information received through their participation. Jocelyne attended her first book camp as a rising 6th grader. By 8th grade, she was not only continuing her involvement in our program, but encouraged her older sister, who was then a sophomore in the IB Program at St. Petersburg High School, to join our year-long program. Her sister went on to be offered admission to Johns Hopkins University, together with a full scholarship and is one of 3 Pinellas County Schools students profiled in the book, Their Stories: Vol I – Inspiring Essays of Students from Challenging Backgrounds.