Alabama is the sixth poorest state in the nation, with 19% of Alabamians—and 29% of children—living below the federal poverty line. We also rank 44th in educational attainment. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, Alabamians who completed a bachelor’s degree earn nearly 78% more than those who only completed a high school diploma. In addition, according to an analysis from Georgetown University’s Center on Education and the Workforce, by 2018, 55% of Alabama’s jobs will require postsecondary education.

As a response to this data, the Alabama Poverty Project (APP) developed the Blueprints College Access Initiative. Blueprints connects 21st century high school students and their families with helpful resources and relationships so they are equipped to graduate from high school and college career-ready. Blueprints applies a ‘near peer’ mentoring model in which college students serve as mentors for high school students.

Low-income, minority, and first-generation students are especially likely to lack specific types of “college knowledge,” including knowing how to finance a college education, complete basic admissions procedures, and make connections between career goals and educational requirements.

Blueprints is possible through the work of three dedicated AmeriCorps*VISTAs and the support of CNCS. Our AmeriCorps*VISTAs coordinate programming and recruit volunteers from college partners to mentor in seven communities in northwest and central Alabama. The program targets high school students, beginning with 9th Grade early awareness mentoring and continuing through the 12th grade with organized classroom sessions and small group college coaching. Session topics range from financial literacy to career assessments, resume building, interview skills, and choosing the right school. In-classroom sessions are combined with after-school support, financial aid information, and field trips to college campuses.

Since the program’s founding in 2009, Blueprints has reached over 2,000 high school students. During the 2012-13 school year alone, 155 volunteer college students mentored 818 high school students through Early Awareness and College Coaching with 100% college acceptance and more than $3 million in supplemental scholarships for our 75 seniors. Furthermore, 2,600 students across four counties received financial aid information and FAFSA completion assistance through College Goal Sunday and the Opening Doors College Access Challenge Grant. Blueprints’ impact on students is unmistakable. Raheem Sanders, a 9th grader at Francis Marion High School, says he looks forward to Blueprints every week because “I always leave with something new, and [Blueprints mentors] are great people to be around.” He makes sure to get his schoolwork done early so he can attend every session. He says: “I’m definitely geared toward college--it’s not an ‘if.’”

The support our program receives from the CNCS and AmeriCorps has been instrumental to our success. Blueprints builds capacity in these communities by connecting low-income high schools with college partners as APP works toward our ultimate goal of fostering a school-wide college-going culture.