Rainier Scholars Information Sessions
Here's a list of informational meetings for parents about Rainier Scholars. You only need to attend one.
Rainier Scholars cultivates the academic potential and leadership skills of hard-working, low-income students of color. By creating access to transformative educational opportunities and providing comprehensive support to scholars and families, we increase college graduation rates and empower new generations of leaders.
Currently, we serve 600 scholars through 14 cohorts with 60-65 new scholars added each year. We serve African-American, Hispanic/Latino, first generation Asian and Native American students who are most underrepresented on college campuses.
These students have the greatest number of barriers to achieving a college education:
Each November, 5th grade students of color in Seattle, Highline and Renton school districts who met standard on their fourth grade reading assessment receive a special letter - one inviting them to a meeting where they can learn about being a Rainier Scholar.
Over the next five months, we work with students and their families to identify approximately 60 - 65 motivated learners who will make up a new cohort of Rainier Scholars for the upcoming summer. We recruit those students who have the greatest number of barriers to a college education. More than 85% of our scholars qualify as low-income. More than 90% come from households where they will be the first generation to earn a four-year college diploma.
To note: you can apply if your family get a letter OR on your own. Attending an informational meeting is recommended and they have several with translators.
Rainier Scholars cultivates the academic potential and leadership skills of hard-working, low-income students of color. By creating access to transformative educational opportunities and providing comprehensive support to scholars and families, we increase college graduation rates and empower new generations of leaders.
Currently, we serve 600 scholars through 14 cohorts with 60-65 new scholars added each year. We serve African-American, Hispanic/Latino, first generation Asian and Native American students who are most underrepresented on college campuses.
These students have the greatest number of barriers to achieving a college education:
- More than 90% of students come from households without a four-year college degree
- More than 85% of students qualify as low-income
Each November, 5th grade students of color in Seattle, Highline and Renton school districts who met standard on their fourth grade reading assessment receive a special letter - one inviting them to a meeting where they can learn about being a Rainier Scholar.
Over the next five months, we work with students and their families to identify approximately 60 - 65 motivated learners who will make up a new cohort of Rainier Scholars for the upcoming summer. We recruit those students who have the greatest number of barriers to a college education. More than 85% of our scholars qualify as low-income. More than 90% come from households where they will be the first generation to earn a four-year college diploma.
To note: you can apply if your family get a letter OR on your own. Attending an informational meeting is recommended and they have several with translators.
Comments
Rainier Scholars is a great talent development program, but it only serves a small number of students.
I would like to point out that Stephen Martin and AL department tried to to start a similar talent development program at several middle schools to reach more children, but was denied the funding.
-nh
We all know this but why isn't it happening?
I was also told RS works closely with AL.
reader
-reader
"It's a tough program, the kids accepted spend the summer before sixth grade going to school from early morning until 5pm, and are given 4 hours of homework every night. So they would need to be an extremely disciplined type of kids, especially since many are from families where the adults work long hours and can't be there to help them . I can't see my kids being able to be that disciplined either with or without me hovering around nagging them. I've seen immigrants from cultures where kids have to work extremely long hours - either in jobs to help their parents or in schools - studying this much in the summer though. The kids would have to be really driven to achieve, and able to keep themselves from burning out. Seven years of this type of schedule to get into college, then four to nine years at University, that's a really long slog for this type of schedule. Maybe the program gets less grueling after the first few years (I only know a couple of younger kids in the program)?"
I have only known a couple of Rainier Scholars -- both in the 7th/8th years of a private middle school(I assume that during the 6th grade, they were doing the intensive 14 month program at a public school) -- and both more than 10 years ago, so perhaps the program has changed. My impression was that from 7th grade on, it WAS much less grueling. Most of what they were doing after the initial 14 months was just the program of the school they were in (though I think they had to maintain high grades, and there may have been ongoing supports/commitments). BOTH were incredible kids -- who worked incredibly hard in school, but I do think that things get more normal (at a high level of achievement) after that initial 14 month period.
The funny thing is, I actually started reading this blog when she was in 7th grade and was put on the wait list for Spectrum at WMS. She was just shy of the cut off for APP and I was so incredibly frustrated that she'd just worked the hardest she'd ever worked and was potentially going to be stuck in non-challenging program because of the way the district runs AL.
I continue to read because of the wealth of information Melissa and Charlie provide. Thanks for all that you do to fight for our kids everyday. It's very much appreciated.
~Franklin Parent