News Corp has selected Let’s Get Ready as a 2018 Philanthropy Partner with a multi-year grant; one of only two organizations chosen to receive this honor. News Corp’s investment will help ensure that Let’s Get Ready’s participants who have been historically underrepresented in higher education get into and graduate from college. The grant, invested over three years, will fund expansion and enhancements for Let’s Get Ready’s College Access and Success programs which support thousands of students throughout the New York City region.
“News Corp believes in the extraordinary power of education to enable individuals to rise to their fullest potential,” said Keisha Smith-Jeremie, News Corp’s Chief Human Resource Officer and Head of Philanthropy.
With News Corp’s generous support, Let’s Get Ready will allocate the new grant towards running College Access programs serving New York City high school juniors and seniors. The grant will also simultaneously provide comprehensive support for approximately 1,000 New York City high school seniors as they transition to college, as well as ensure that several thousand students in college will receive Success support which provides mentoring, activities and access to resources necessary to help them thrive during their college years. In addition to this widespread support of Let’s Get Ready’s continuum of programs, News Corp’s grant will allow the organization to expand its Coach recruitment efforts and deepen partnerships with colleges across the New York area.
“We are deeply honored to be named as one of News Corp’s 2018 Philanthropy Partners,” said Kathrine Mott, Let’s Get Ready’s Chief Executive Officer. “With News Corp’s significant investment of support in our programs, more deserving students across New York City will be able to access a college education—and achieve their dreams.”
Let’s Get Ready was founded in 1998 by Jeannie Lang Rosenthal, then a Harvard undergraduate, to help high school students from low-income backgrounds—often the first in their families to college—to get into a well-matched school. She found that college students, having recently applied to and enrolled in college, were well-equipped to mentor high school juniors and seniors, their “near-peers”.
Let’s Get Ready’s services, provided at no cost to students, begin with the College Access program. It includes SAT prep courses, campus visits, guidance on college essays and applications, help with financial aid forms, and counseling on college decisions. The College Success Program, through remote and in-person mentoring, focuses on helping students transition to campus life. It connects students to resources while helping them build the confidence, sense of belonging, and skills needed to attain their degree.
