Cristo Rey Network including De La Salle Academy
Preparing Students for Success in the Work Place and in Life
Location: New York City, San Francisco and other locations in 24 states
Sponsor: Martha Clark, Carrie Portis and Carla Williams
Cristo Rey Network High Schools (CRHS): Grantee in 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2019, 2020, 2021, and 2022-23
The Cristo Rey Network is a network of small Catholic high schools across the United States that integrate four years of rigorous college preparatory academics with four years of professional work experience through a Corporate Work-Study Program. These schools offer students from economically disadvantaged families a quality, college-preparatory education that also includes real-life work experience designed to prepare students for college and successful careers. The Corporate Work Study Program (CWSP) also funds approximately half of a student’s tuition costs.
Although the CWSP arose from the need for a sustainable way to fund quality education for these deserving students, the program has evolved into a defining element of the overall educational experience and a unique differentiator for the schools. Participants not only gain exposure to corporate work environments, but they also acquire four years of job training that fosters the development of a strong work ethic and leadership skills. Even more importantly, the habits and ‘ 21st-century gateway skills’ developed in the workplace prepare them to succeed in college at rates far above others with a similar background.
As the nature of entry-level jobs changes (initially focused on such manual tasks as mail delivery, and filing) and the role of technology increases, schools have implemented Skill Soft training. Through SkillSoft, students learn various aspects of Microsoft Office Suite. Cristo Rey is also piloting training in executive function skills such as note-taking, time management, goal-setting, prioritization, and planning. Such innovations and program adaptations ensure that students are consistently prepared to perform well as they advance to college and beyond.
For more information visit the Cristo Rey Network website.
GRANT SUMMARY AND PURPOSE
2014: $19,200 supported supplementary, intensive mentoring and coaching in the Cristo Rey High School, NYC; one-year remedial intervention for three students and mentoring for a total of 13 students.
2015: $22,300 piloted essential SkillSoft Microsoft Office training for 460 students in Cristo Rey High Schools, Brooklyn and Manhattan.
2016: $33,000 expanded SkillSoft training. Funds cover licenses and hardware for two schools (the NYC location and Immaculate Conception Academy in San Francisco), and licenses at the Brooklyn school. Training reaches 860 at-risk students (70% are girls).
2017: $25,250 provided MS office skills training to 860 college-bound students in three schools. Training increases retention in the CWSP and improves student performance.
2019: $25,000 provided software licenses and staff support for training in 14 of the 35 network schools, benefitting 3900 students.
2020: $30,000 expanded a custom application called Work Studyforce, a crucial tool in providing meaningful jobs to students by generating at least 70% of the job leads for the Corporate Work Study program through sharing information on a national level, prospecting corporate partners and centralizing partner relationship data.
2021: A $30,000 grant delivered training to 1327 students via 54 staff members in executive function skills (note-taking, time management, goal-setting, prioritization, and planning). Proficiency with these skills is expected to improve student performance and retention throughout high school and college careers.
2022-23: $30,000 will expand the 2021 program of executive function skills to an additional 1673 students in 10 additional schools through the Cristo Rey Network. In addition, a grant of $2,883 in unrestricted funding has been awarded to support this mission.
2022-23: $30,000 will fund science lab materials and equipment in Cristo Rey de la Salle East Bay High School in support of STEM training with the goal of enhancing student preparation for higher education STEM fields of studies and career opportunities. In addition, a grant of $2,883 in unrestricted funding has been awarded to support this mission.
IMPACT
Improve student retention, graduation,
