Arizona youth organization aiding urban students to graduate

Across hard-to-serve urban areas, at-risk students drop out of school in alarming numbers, and for those that do graduate, the road to post-secondary education is filled with obstacles.

Elevate Phoenix embraces these special kids and transforms their once bleak future into one of potential prosperity. They employ a holistic approach to meet each child’s needs. They provide full-time salaried teacher-mentors, year-round programming, cross-age mentoring, and a long-term relational approach. Their four areas of focus are: accredited classes, mentoring, reading & literacy, graduation, and post-secondary plans.

Jazmine Hall, Development Director at Elevate Phoenix, and Amanda Covarrubias, Education Director at Elevate Phoenix, joined “Arizona Horizon” to provide more details on their youth organization.

The program proves success through their results. Covarrubias says that the graduation rates are “through the roof,” and “far exceed” the district rates. According to Covarrubias, out of the total number of students who go through the program, about 98-99% of them graduate.

According to the Elevate Phoenix’s website, Arizona has a 74% graduation rate and a 52% dropout rate.

While many of the students leave Elevate Phoenix with a post-secondary education plan, that plan may not always include college. Many students may choose to enter the workforce, military or even trade school.

Hall says that Elevate Phoenix is defined by more than the in-classroom work they do.

“We believe in our kids and we give them a safe place to have a home,” said Hall.