Schools that Work
By providing a quality college-prep education, the Cristo Rey Network prepares low-income urban youth for success in college and beyond.
About You
About You
First Name
Brenda
Last Name
Schulze
Twitter URL
ttp://www.twitter.com/cristorey
About Your Organization
Organization Name
Cristo Rey Network
Organization Website
Organization Country
United States, IL, Chicago, Cook County
Country where this project is creating social impact
United States
Is your organization a
Non‐profit / NGO / Citizen sector organization
Your role in Education
Other.
The type of school(s) your solution is affiliated with
Other
How long has your organization been operating?
More than 5 years
Innovation
Select the stage that best applies to your solution
Scaling (the next step will be growing impact on a regional or even global scale)
How long has your solution been in operation?
Operating for more than 5 years
The Need: What problem are you trying to solve?
A black male in America today is more likely to land in prison than in college; a young Latina enrolled as a freshman in college has about a one in 10 chance of earning a degree. A college degree is an essential ticket to opportunity and a way out of poverty for today’s youth; however, less than one in ten low-income students beginning high school completes a postsecondary degree by age 24.
The current state of the education system does not have the capacity to innovate and create safe environments for all students to gain college-ready skills. Often stuck in poor-performing schools with low expectations, low-income students struggle to access the quality instruction and support they need to be college-ready by the end of high school.
The Solution: What is your solution? Be specific!
The Cristo Rey Network is proving, through its outcome data (i.e. National Student Clearinghouse direct college enrollment), that the most vulnerable and at risk youth in America can and will succeed in enrolling in college when given a high quality, college preparatory high school educational experience.
Cristo Rey’s unique combination of a rigorous academic curriculum and a demanding Corporate Work Study Program not only provides an environment for students to excel, but is also a sustainable revenue model that does not rely solely on traditional fundraising or government funding.
By breaking large and bureaucratic education systems and replacing them with smaller and innovative entrepreneurial entities, Cristo Rey Network schools can more quickly respond to the needs of every student. As a result, Cristo Rey students will graduate high school prepared to succeed in college and subsequently the workforce, which will bring themselves and their families’ economic prosperity.
The Model: Walk us through a specific example of how your solution makes a difference; include your primary activities
Unique to any other model of secondary education, Cristo Rey schools employ a Corporate Work Study Program, which ensures a student’s building of core skills to succeed in college and the modern workplace. Students work one day a week at law firms, banks, hospitals and other professional service, corporate partners. Last school year, Cristo Rey Network students earned $35 million toward their education.
Coupled with a rigorous, college preparatory education, the objective of these jobs is to reinforce the capabilities — reading comprehension, mathematics, discipline, persistence and a strong work ethic — that students need to be successful in college and career.
Many schools, in attempt to connect students’ classroom learning to future careers, hold career fairs and/or bring speakers from the fields into classrooms for guest presentations. While these efforts may be worthwhile, such one-time offerings typically have little sustained impact. Cristo Rey students, on the other hand, see and participate in first-hand applications at their job – such as working with engineers in putting together materials kits for the construction of unmanned space drones, transporting patients at a university hospital, or working side by side with scientists at a genetic research lab.
Students always say that their job is the favorite part of their Cristo Rey experience – it is the hook that engages them in learning and dreaming. The students’ job is the number one response freshman in college give for their persistence (according to our 2008 alumni survey).
The Marketplace: Who are your peers and competitors? Identify others also working to address the needs you are and what differentiates you from them. What challenges could these players pose to your success or growth?
There are several charter management organizations that are working to address the unyielding achievement gap between poor students and wealthier students. What differentiates the Cristo Rey Network is our sustainable revenue model. By employing the Corporate Work Study Program, schools cover up to 70% of their operating costs; therefore, as described in a prior question, our schools do not rely solely on traditional fundraising or government funding.
Now that you have thought out your entry, help us pitch it.
Define your company, program, service, or product in 1-2 short sentences [136 characters]
By providing a quality college-prep education, the Cristo Rey Network prepares low-income urban youth for success in college and beyond.
Identify what is innovative about your solution in 1-2 short sentences [136 characters]
The unique Corporate Work Study Program provides students with real-life opportunities for growth and development of their self esteem.
Social Impact
This Entry is about (Issues)
What has been the impact of your solution to date?
The Cristo Rey Network has opened 25 high schools (one to open this fall) that serve exclusively low-income youth. This school-year the Network is educating 6,900 students and will soon be reaching more than 10,000 young people who otherwise would not have access to a quality, college preparatory education. To date, there are more than 3,000 alumni who have graduated Cristo Rey high schools prepared for success in college.
In measuring the impact of our mission, college-success, the Cristo Rey Network works with the National Student Clearinghouse to track actual college enrollment and graduation. According to the National Student Clearinghouse, for the classes of 2008-2010, over 85% of the graduates have enrolled in college; they persist at a rate of 88%. This is nearly twice the college going rate as the peers from the same socio-economic background as our students.
What is your projected impact over the next 1-3 years?
Given the recent enactment of school choice legislation in a number of states, there is an historic opportunity to open Cristo Rey high schools supported not only by revenue from the Corporate Work Study Program, but also by private school vouchers and education tax credits. Therefore, in the next one-three years, the Cristo Rey Network will continue working with local communities to open schools in these choice markets. We anticipate three-five new Cristo Rey schools opening.
Ultimately, the Cristo Rey Network seeks to open 25 new high schools in the next decade educating over 10,000 additional inner-city students. With a total of 50 schools, at full enrollment Cristo Rey will be serving 25,000 students while transforming the national education landscape for low-income youth.
Winning entries present a strong plan for how they will achieve and track growth. Identify your six-month milestone for growing your impact
Increase the Cristo Rey Network's capcity to open schools by hiring a New School Growth Team
Identify three major tasks you will have to complete to reach your six-month milestone
Task 1
Hire a Director of New School Growth
Task 2
Hire a School Growth Project Manager
Task 3
Cultivate support for a Cristo Rey school in targeted cities, with a particular focus on choice markets
Now think bigger! Identify your 12-month impact milestone
Have five active feasibility studies underway in choice communities
Identify three major tasks you will have to complete to reach your 12-month milestone
Task 1
Hire a National Feasibility Study Coordinator
Task 2
Manage the ongoing, day-to-day execution of the feasibility studies
Task 3
Work on-site with the individuals leading the study in their city to identify, secure, and implement the necessary resources
Founding Story: We want to hear about your "Aha!" moment. Share the story of where and when the founder(s) saw this solution's potential to change the world [125 words]
To begin breaking the cycle of poverty, it is critical for all cities to consider new ways of providing parents with affordable, educational choices and the opportunity to enroll their children into a quality, college preparatory education.
Fr. John Foley and his team created an audacious work study plan to turn this situation around. Naysayers repeatedly pointed out that no school like this had ever been attempted. Fr. Foley wasn’t swayed. He saw a need and believed this unconventional approach to education was their best shot at responding to the need. He was right. The first day Cristo Rey Jesuit High School opened in 1996 in Chicago’s Pilsen neighborhood, Fr. Foley describes himself "hiding under the desk" weary about the fact that they actually sent the students into Chicago's loop to work. By the end of the day, employers were calling him to say "thank you." It was a success, and today, 24 schools are successfully implementing the program.
Sustainability
Tell us about your partnerships
Aside from our 1,700 Corporate Work Study Partners nation-wide, whose role has been previously described, the Cristo Rey Network works with colleges across the country to achieve “buy-in” with our mission, while also learning how Cristo Rey school graduates can, indeed, help the universities to achieve their missions. Our 40 National University Partners support Cristo Rey Network students in a number of ways through scholarship programs, job sponsorship, and pre-college summer enrichment programs. Cristo Rey graduates who enroll in partner colleges persist in college at a rate of 97%.
What type of team (staff, volunteers, etc.) will ensure that you achieve the growth milestones identified in the Social Impact section? [75 words]
To ensure that the Cristo Rey Network achieves the growth milestones identified in the Social Impact section, every Cristo Rey Network employee will play a critical role (i.e. providing support services as it relates to academics, marketing, development, and general operations.) However, until the entire New School Growth team is hired and well-oriented, the primary drivers of our growth will be the Cristo Rey Network's President and CEO, Chief Operating Officer, and the Director of School Growth.
Please elaborate on any needs or offers you have mentioned above and/or suggest categories of support that aren't specified within the list
Research/Information:
• Economic Forecasts & Trend Analysis: Which industries are positioned for the greatest job growth over the next 5-10 years?
• Critical Capabilities Assessment: In what situations do our students provide unique value to corporate sponsors?
• Strategic Planning: Once we have developed a data-driven conceptual plan, how do we translate ideas into action?
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Comments
In just a sentence or two, would you share what you see as the most effective way your program is building, fostering or nurturing a culture of empathy?
Also, I'd like to invite you and any other applicants to to join in a recorded Skype based interview and panel discussion to talk about your program and empathy. For more see.
http://bit.ly/y8WS7V
Warmly,
Edwin
Director, Center for Building a Culture of Empathy
http://cultureofempathy.com
Cristo Rey schools foster a culture of empathy by engaging students in service learning. Though every Cristo Rey student comes from a low income family, our students engage in serving others less fortunate than themselves through service work, such as supporting the homeless, raising funds to educate poor children in the Philippines, or conducting a diaper drive for a crisis nursery center.
thanks for the reply
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