KIPP Forward - KIPP NYC

Fulfilling lives

About KIPP Forward

KIPP Forward supports students to discover what a fulfilling life means to them, then break through any barrier that stands in their way of achieving it. We help students to choose and prepare for the educational and career paths that fit their goals and sense of purpose. Once on their way, KIPP Forward teams help alumni tackle academic, social, and financial challenges they might encounter while pursuing their dreams.

We currently support over 2,000 high school students and over 4,200 high school alumni of KIPP, Achievement First and a growing number of partner organizations for six years post high school graduation. Through 1:1 advising and robust programming related to College and Career Readiness, College Success, and Career Services we aim to help our alumni persist in and graduate from college and CTE programs and then transition to strong early career jobs upon completion. Learn about our KIPP Forward outcomes for our KIPP NYC alumni on our Impact Page.

Over 90% of our KIPP high school graduates have participated in at least one interest-aligned summer program during their high school careers.

College & Career Readiness

Our College and Career Readiness programming ensures that our high school students receive the proper knowledge, exposure, and supports to successfully enroll in a best-match college or career program upon graduation.

Juniors at KIPP NYC College Prep High School complete a comprehensive college and career readiness curriculum that focuses on self-awareness, career success, and college knowledge. Curriculum topics include researching colleges and Career and Technical Education (CTE) programs, writing a personal statement, preparing for college entrance exams, developing healthy relationships, creating a resume, completing a comprehensive career diagnostic, and building a personal brand.

Each senior receives a college or workforce development counselor. In partnership with families, counselors work with students to build college or CTE program lists, gain direct exposure to best-fit college admissions officers, complete financial aid and college applications early, access additional aid and supports via Opportunity Programs, and decide which college/CTE/military program to commit to after high school.

We recognize the importance of early career exposure to fuel students’ passions and purpose. Starting in middle school, students are exposed to career readiness lessons, introduced to career exposure opportunities, and connected to strategic summer programs in order to support the development of the skills and confidence they will need in high school and beyond.

In high school, each student has a career counselor who helps them explore and reflect on their interests, passions, and skills, and uses these insights to develop individual career plans and attain reputable summer and career exposure opportunities each year.

Take advantage of every opportunity. KIPP has amazing programs that are aimed to help students succeed. One of the reasons why I’m here today is because of all of these opportunities and I’m so grateful for that.

Stacey

KIPP NYC Alumna

90% of Classes 2021-2023 have successfully engaged with their advisor.

College Success

The College Success Team supports students for six years post high school with the resources and strategies that help to improve college persistence and on-time graduation rates.

Fellows, who are alumni of KIPP NYC and our high school partner programs, serve as near-peer advisors to our alumni through their first two critical years of college. Fellows provide coaching, mentorship, and direct support through 1:1 advisement sessions.

Fellows are located near their students’ campuses to enable convenient in-person visits and foster strong relationships with their advisees. Check out NY1’s reporting on our College Success Program!

Fellows assess students’ college completion progress through our innovative “Persistence Benchmarks” that focus on financial health, academic habits, socio-emotional health, and career planning. Based on these assessments, Fellows then guide them towards improvement in areas of most need.

Since 2018, over 750 alumni have participated in our career coaching services to help them land strong first jobs.

Career Services

Our Career Services programming helps alumni obtain strong first jobs directly after high school or college. We provide career diagnostics, skill-building workshops, resume coaching, interview preparation, networking opportunities, and job and internship listings.

Sophomores in college, with support from their advisors, receive intensive career preparation during their sophomore year via our Wayfinders Program. They dig deep into their personalized career diagnostic to ensure alignment between their studies and their career interests, complete their resume and LinkedIn profile, engage in mock interviews, and learn valuable networking and internship search skills that set them up for success in utilizing our internship opportunities LinkedIn platform highlighting hundreds of vetted opportunities.

Alumni who seek to enter a career after high school are matched with a Workforce Advisor who provides 1:1 advisement for two years post high school. The Workforce Advisor ensures our alumni 1.) apply to a best-fit, free or low-cost, and well-regarded CTE program, 2.) have the resources and supports to successfully complete their program on-time and 3.) enter a career-aligned job upon program completion.

Our alumni have access to career coaching and training via our KIPP Forward Career Coaching Program and partnerships we have built with prominent career-focused organizations, such as Braven, First Gen U, Talk Hiring and Wizco.

Foundational Supports

MANAGING FINANCIAL EMERGENCIES

The KIPP Forward Microgrant Program was created to prevent unexpected or emergency financial gaps from deterring postsecondary education and career plans. Microgrants are intended for needs that, when addressed, will lead to enrollment, persistence, or graduation from the student’s chosen postsecondary education or career training program. In the 2022-2023 academic year, over 170,000 dollars were distributed to alumni and 91% of alumni who have received microgrants are persisting or have graduated.

SUPPORTING MENTAL HEALTH

KIPP Forward connects alumni with prominent organizations that provide online mental health therapy with a focus on supporting the BIPOC community to access culturally competent practitioners. Our mental health partnerships have supported over 600 alumni to receive free, clinical therapy, and has garnered overwhelmingly positive reviews from alumni.