Grant From USA Funds Supports Circle City Classic Youth Programs

USA Funds^® recently awarded a $50,000 grant to support the Circle City Classic College Readiness Workshops. This program is a part of the annual Circle City Classic held in Indianapolis in October. 

The Circle City Classic College Readiness Workshops target high-school students from the greater Indianapolis area and draw participants from around the state. Since 2002 the Circle City Classic Youth Initiative has extended its reach to more than 50 cities across Indiana and has positively affected more than 4,000 students from 86 schools throughout the state.

The workshops aim to prepare students for college by providing educational tools and scholarship information. The program also helps students plan for the future by developing career goals and by setting and reaching goals that will help them succeed in life.

“The mission of the Circle City College Readiness Workshops is in line with our own: enhancing postsecondary-education preparedness, access and success,” says Pat Roe, USA Funds assistant to the president. “USA Funds is pleased to support initiatives that not only promote educational opportunities for African-American youth, but also teach them to dream and give them the tools to make those dreams a reality.”

College Readiness Workshops help eliminate barriers that keep high-school students from attending postsecondary-education institutions. During the workshops, students can take an SAT practice examination in an educational segment designed to teach test-taking strategies. Students also receive financial-aid information.

After taking the practice SAT, students receive feedback that identifies areas of needed improvement based on the results. Students also can set up online student profiles to retake the practice test and search for scholarship information. They receive study guides and test-taking strategies.

Several Indianapolis-area schools with a special focus on inner-city youth host College Readiness Workshops throughout the school year. More than 1,000 students from the Indianapolis metropolitan school districts and throughout Indiana will participate in the 2006-2007 academic year.

A variety of civic and community leaders serve as mentors or speakers for program participants.