2022-2025 Strategic Plan

FROM OUR CEO

Dear Prep for Prep Communit y Members and Par tners:

I am excited to share the outcome of a year ’ s work by the Prep for Prep communit y: a strategic plan that char ts the course for the organization for the nex t three years. By engaging in a comprehensive process to develop this plan, we have been able to learn from the pas t and look to the future.

This strategic plan, which enhances the core work of our organiz ation, enables us to focus our time, energ y, and resources on the area s mos t impac tful to the communit y, as

are able to ma ximize oppor tunities and determine funding for Prep for Prep s tudents by employing s trategies that suppor t

work that is required to make ac tionable, transparent , and mea surable progress toward achieving our three strategic impac t goals:

1. Amplif y Prep for Prep’s value proposition alongside communit y s takeholders

2. Nur ture a whole-person approach with Prep for Prep s tudents

3. We look for ward to keeping you all updated as we begin to embed the strategic plan into our daily work The Prep for Prep team is excited to have cohesion and a variet y of mea sures that will ensure progress with the many ac tion items that suppor t our impac t goals A s a team, we appreciate that the message of the strategic plan is loud and clear : don’t change the Prep for Prep model; it work s! However, there is an oppor tunit y for increa sed awareness and building organiz ational capacit y in suppor t of the plan.

Thank you for your suppor t of Prep for Prep and its dynamic future!

With gratitude,

Ruth Jurgensen CEO Prep for Prep

VISION

society.

MISSION

Prep for Prep’s mission is to develop future leaders by creating access for young and professional advancement opportunities.

IMPACT

For more than 40 years, Prep for Prep has been committed to developing promising students of color into accomplished students and leaders.

100%

of Prep’s high school seniors are accepted to college

3,900+

Prep for Prep alumni have and their communities

7,180+

paid internships generated to broaden students’ professional sk ills and exposure to a range of industries 1,600+

advanced degrees in the arts and sciences, medicine, law, business, education, social work,

THE PREP FOR PREP JOURNE Y

A D M I S S I O N S

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Each year, near ly 4,0 0 0 s tudent s of color fr om 8 0 0 + New Yor k Ci t y-ar ea public schools inquir e abou t admissions to Pr ep for Pr ep 12 5 s tudent s ar e accepted into Pr ep (for day school placement) and 75 into PR EP 9 (boar ding school placement)

To pr epar e for independent school, r ising six th -gr ader s in Pr ep and eighthgr ader s in PR EP 9 under go a 14 - month cour se of s tudy spanning t wo summer sessions a s well a s Wednesday and Satur day cla sses dur ing the inter vening school year Older Pr ep s tudent s ser ve a s advisor s to cur r ent s tudent s and guide them thr ough academic and social challenges

C O U N S E L I N G

Pr ep suppor t s the academic, ment al heal th, and per sonal wellness of s tudent s in gr ades 7–12 thr ough year- r ound meetings wi th counselor s T he Counseling team also facili t ates r etr eat s , social ac tivi ties for s tudent s, and par ent suppor t gr oups thr oughou t their independent school jour neys T he Under gr aduate A air s team pr ovides counseling ser vices to college s tudent s

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O P P O RT U N I T I E S

T he oppor tuni ties , net wor k ing, and event s open to alumni s tr eng then and nur tur e their achievement s and contr ibu tions to societ y, while keeping them ac tive in the Pr ep Communi t y

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3L A C E M E N T

All s tudent s who success fully complete the Pr epar ator y Component (t y pically 75 % of admi t ted s tudent s) ar e placed in day schools a s seventh -gr ader s or boar ding schools a s ninth -gr ader s

A spec t s of Leader ship r etr eat s , College G uidance and Pr ofessional Advancement pr ogr ams , and an ar r ay of ar t s , entr epr eneur ship, public polic y, and communi t y ser vice oppor tuni ties br oaden our s tudent s’ a spir ations and expand pathways to success

G R A D U AT E S

L U M N I A F F A I R S

S T U D E N T S I N P U B L I C S C H O O L S

S T U D E N T S I N I N D E P E N D E N T S C H O O L S

S T U D E N T S I N C O L L E G E C O L L E G E T R A N S I T I O N T O I N D E P E N D E N T S C H O O L S

P R E PA R AT O RY C O M P O N E N T

1Strategic Impact Goal One: Amplify Our Value Proposition Alongside Our Community Stakeholders

With greater clarity about what makes Prep for Prep a st andout in educational access, all employees will be able to leverage a common underst anding of the prospective families, donors, corporate partners, and alumni.

Under the guidance of an expanded communications department and in partnership with advertising agency TBWA\Chiat\Day, we will ensure the messaging used to with prospective students and their families, and showcases our position as a leader in inclusive education.

Objective 3: Embrace Prep for Prep’s authority to hold school partners accountable

To ensure the best independent school experience possible for our students , we will environment and coach schools on best practices in educating students of color. We will keep a keen eye on how schools engage with our students and families.

By nurturing our relationships with independent partner school colleagues, including Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion representatives, we will be able to assist schools in creating intentionally inclusive environments that support Prep students’ personal and academic success. Enhanced connections with Prep alumni will bolster their relationships with current Prep students and with each other, while stronger alliances with corporate partners will result in increased internship opportunities for our students

2Strategic Impact Goal Two: Nurture Our Students Through a Whole-Person Approach

mentorship opportunities, Prep for Prep students will have access to even more college and career opportunities. While we will continue to support our students’ interest s in opportunities for students to thrive in technology, the ar ts , and entrepreneurship.

Objective 2: Integrate social-emotional learning support for students

Prep for Prep students will have proactive and reactive mental wellness support woven throughout their program experience, from Preparatory to undergrad. This includes access to a newly created team at Prep that includes a Director of Mental Wellness and clinical social workers, an expanded near-peer mentorship program for college students , and new proactive wellness programming that gives students tools to thrive in any setting.

Objective 3: Nurture a whole-person approach with Prep for Prep students

In addition to honing their academic abilities, Prep for Prep students will be able to relationships across their contingent, with peers at their independent schools, and with alumni who are a part of their advocacy team. As a result of this support, students will experience greater feelings of belonging at their independent school.

Joseph Myrie

(X XIV/Collegiate ’08, Penn ’12) Post’13; MD, Einstein ’18

Pediatric Nepholog y Fellow, Stanford Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital

Milton Syed

(P9 X XIII/Exeter ’14, Har vard ’18)

Investment Analyst , Elliott Management

Amanda Boston (X XII/Poly Prep ‘06, Duke ‘10) MA , Duke ‘12; PhD, Brown ‘18

Assistant Professor of Africana Studies, University of Pittsburgh

Anthony Wright ( V/Riverdale ’89, Amherst ’93)

Executive Director, Health Access California

Kristen Clarke (P9 II/Choate ’93, Har vard ’97) JD, Columbia ’00

Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights, U.S. Depar tment of Justice

3Strategic Impac t Goal Three: Diversit y, Equit y, and Inclusion in Education

Objec tive 1: Increase Pre p for Pre p’s national thought leader ship through shar ing it s exper tise

Informed by more than 40 years of experience engaging with s tudent s of color and independent schools , and the dat a gleaned from this work , Prep for Prep will use it s position a s a thought leader to elevate the national conversation about educational equit y and access .

Objec tive 2: Convene peer s and wor k collec tively towards heightened inclusion across sec tor s

Through our work with peer organiz ations and par tner schools , we will develop an schools need to become more inclusive.

Objec tive 3: E ngage other educational organizations by disseminating best prac tices , data, and training models

Prep for Prep will become the go -to resource for educational access programs and independent schools seek ing bes t prac tices , dat a , and training models for increa sing diversit y, equit y, and inclusion. Our re - energized Smar t Connec tions initiative will provide consulting and technical a ssis t ance, net work ing oppor tunities , and professional conferences for academic enrichment programs and char ter schools , resulting in improved life prospec t s for s tudent s in the United St ates and around the world.