For the past several weeks, nonprofits, community organizations and good Samaritans alike have been hosting school supply drives to ensure every student rolls into the 2022-23 school year with the supplies they need to be successful inside of the classroom. But student success goes beyond the school day hours. If you’re looking for student success nonprofits to support this year, consider one of these six organizations that support students in and out of the classroom.
GRASP
For the older youth in our communities, GRASP is a college-access organization that connects students and their families with funding that helps them earn post-secondary educational credentials. Many schools in Virginia are part of GRASP’s network, and there are financial aid counseling sessions, scholarships and more for students to take advantage of. You can donate to the organization here.
NextUp RVA
Focusing on those formative years of middle school, NextUp RVA engages with Richmond’s middle school youth after school hours to help keep them engaged, productive and learning. Students who have participated in NextUp programming have positive outcomes, including better attitudes, fewer behavioral incidents and higher report card scores. Learn about the various ways you can support the organization here.
Cornerstones
Organizations like Cornerstones work to provide holistic services for families experiencing a crisis, and in the case of Cornerstones, it provides affordable childcare, homework assistance and more. These student success offerings ensure that whatever is happening with a parent or as a household, the students are still cared for, looked after, safe and protected as the family navigates its situation. Learn more and donate here.
The Success Foundation of Virginia
Back-to-school season is hard for many, but for foster youth, additional support often is needed. (According to the National Foster Youth Institute, fewer than 3% of foster youth graduate from a four-year university.) From mentorship to individualized plans, The Success Foundation of Virginia is equipping foster youth with the information and resources they need to succeed in and out of the classroom. To learn more and donate, visit its website.
Mentor Virginia
Speaking of mentors, Mentor Virginia seeks to empower, elevate and encourage youth through intentional mentorship relationships. Mentor/mentee relationships help build trusted spaces for knowledge sharing, feedback, guidance and more, which could be critical for youth getting ready to graduate out from K-12 into the workforce or college. You can donate to Mentor Virginia here.
ForKids
Another holistic support nonprofit is ForKids. Similar to Cornerstones, this organization offers several educational programs for children of the families it serves – from Beyond the Bell tutoring to community learning centers, summer prep camps to kindergarten readiness. To donate to ForKids, visit its website.
