Our inaugural Full Circle cohort gathered this week to learn about healthy communities from Vitalyst Health Foundation and Moves the Needle. The purpose of the cohort is to provide additional support and education to nonprofits who have participated in Fast Pitch. This year, we have seven strong and viable nonprofits – Treasures 4 Teachers, Stardust Building Supplies, Back to School Clothing Drive, St. Joseph the Worker, Cancer Support Community, Civitan Foundation and Northbridge College Success Program.
Jason Moore, executive director of Northbridge College Success Program, went through the 2017 Fast Pitch program and is part of our first Full Circle cohort. He shares his thoughts on how Fast Pitch accelerated his program {for those interested in Fast Pitch 2018, applications are opening early September, and sponsorships are currently being curated. Contact Lesley Miller, SVPAZ Fast Pitch manager, for details.}
Here’s Jason’s story:
For NorthBridge College Success Program and their college placement test-prep program, Accuplacer Ready, the results are in. SVP’s Fast Pitch program works!
The goal SVP’s Fast Pitch is to “…equip nonprofit leaders, social entrepreneurs, and ASU students with the skills to effectively communicate their story and connect them with business and community leaders who help them create significant impact.” NorthBridge’s, Accuplacer Ready has inspired community leaders into action; and in just three months, 100 students have saved $30,000 in tuition and 9,000 hours of classroom work by testing out of courses they didn’t need. Building upon this momentum, NorthBridge is leveraging Fast Pitch donations and awards and releasing grant matching opportunities to school districts and nonprofits so Accuplacer Ready can help 1,000 students save $300,000 and 27,000 hours over the next year.
On March 28, I asked 720 community-minded people to help thousands of community college-bound students save time and money by testing out of unnecessary development courses. These courses, which 65 percent of Maricopa Community College students test into cost the same as college-level courses, take the same amount of time to complete and DON’T COUNT TOWARDS A DEGREE. The kicker is that those who start in developmental courses are 39 percent more likely to dropout.
Fast forward three months later, NorthBridge is receiving weekly calls for Accuplacer Ready Workshops and because of the generosity of the Fast Pitch audience, students are finding success. In May, students at Camelback, Coronado and Paradise Valley High Schools attended the five-hour workshop series and learned: why their scores on the Accuplacer Test (placement test) matter, which critical thinking skills to use on the three tests (reading, arithmetic/algebra and English), and how to tap into their working memory to accurately demonstrate their proficiency. This summer, Accuplacer Ready Workshops are helping College Depot clients do the same.
So what does all this mean? It means students can start experiencing success in college sooner and graduate sooner. The real victories are students like Maria and Jonathan.
Maria was pleased with her results and expressed her gratitude, “When I first tested into ENG 091 I wondered if I was really ready for college. But after learning how to analyze the prompt, I tested into ENG 101 and I feel so much better about my chances this fall.”
Jonathan, who tested out of three courses, “When I went to register they said I had to take a test, so I did. I really didn’t know what it really meant. After Accuplacer Ready, I understood and studied the day before. What a difference it made! I saved close to a $1,000 and I think almost a semester of classes.”
On behalf of NorthBridge, a big thank you to, SVPAZ for the Fast Pitch platform, it totally works. We are grateful to the Kiita, Murray Family, and Burton Family Foundations for the grants and for believing in NorthBridge and Accuplacer Ready. It is really making a difference.
To learn more about how NorthBridge College Success Program is helping students succeed in college go to www.NorthBridgeaz.org or call me at 480-991-3686.
Jason Moore is a native Arizonan, husband, father, educator, group fitness instructor and nonprofit professional who is committed to the betterment of the community by helping youth achieve their educational and career goals.