Rainier Scholars is a 12-year program that provides rigorous academics, leadership development and personalized support to help eliminate barriers and grow new generations of diverse career professionals and community leaders. All four phases below have an element of social and emotional support, helping students embrace cultural identity and develop resiliency to overcome challenges they may face on their academic journey. Academic Enrichment (AEP), Beginning the summer after 4th Grade - Through an intensive 14-month Academic Enrichment phase, including two 6-week summer sessions and a school year of Wednesday afternoons and Saturday classes, scholars develop effective skills for academic success, engage in critical thinking and learn subject content two to three grade levels beyond their current school work. The primary focus is to prepare scholars for admission to and success within two strong college prep pathways in this region: independent schools on scholarship and highly capable programs within our public school partnership districts of Seattle, Highline and Renton. Academic Counseling and Support (ACSS), 6th – 8th Grade - Once placement is achieved in public or private school college preparatory programs, students receive comprehensive, ongoing support with monthly visits to students' schools from Rainier Scholars counselors, skill building workshops, summer learning experiences, tutoring and monthly social activities. Rainier Scholars works in collaboration with schools and families, creating long-term partnerships for student success. Leadership Development (LD), 9th – 12th Grade - During high school, Rainer Scholars offers personalized college planning services, ACT test prep, career guidance and internship opportunities. The cornerstone of this phase is a series of intensive retreats and workshops designed to introduce students to effective and ethical leadership as they develop their own styles and strengths as leaders. Each retreat is built around a curriculum with a challenging academic focus centered around social justice and is designed to better prepare students for leadership roles in their schools and communities. College Support (CS), Freshman – Senior - Rainier Scholars creates a safety net of support from matriculation to graduation. Services include a College 101 retreat, ongoing personalized contact with our college support counselors, a range of career development services, professional networking opportunities and social gatherings. In addition to progress toward a college degree, success is measured through engagement in campus communities, leadership activities and study abroad experiences. The goal is to help scholars develop a clear career plan or pathway to graduate school. Rainier Scholars helps students to build the necessary skills and attributes to become the first in their family to earn a 4-year college degree and embrace their cultural identity and potential for leadership in their communities.

Rainier Scholars provides a transformational experience that builds the academic foundation, learning skills critical for success in both academics and life, and leadership development, all while changing perceptions about our scholars' strengths and capabilities – for both the scholar and the broader community. Key strategies we use to support students on the path to success: • Start early and commit to a long-term approach (through college graduation) • Focus on academics and earning placement in college preparatory settings (public and private) • Build skills for academic success (organization, time management, accountability, effort, self-advocacy, risk taking and collaborative learning) • Create strong partnerships – with families, schools, community organizations and business community • Provide personalized services and comprehensive support • Extend wraparound services through college years providing a critical safety net of support Starting with our youngest scholars in Academic Enrichment, we create systems of support and intervention to provide each student with the best chance for success, and the means to find their voice and become their own advocates. Rainier Scholars are powerful academically; they are resilient; they know where they come from as well as where they are going; and they are practiced in the pursuit of excellence in all settings that they navigate. Our work focuses on four core areas of development. Academic Enrichment: Scholars work approximately 1-3 grades above their current grade level; gaining exposure to advanced level content that they will find in college prep settings while developing the skills necessary to master that content. Cultural Identity: Successful scholars value who they are and have pride in where they come from. This self-awareness and sense of belonging is critical as students venture forth into settings where they may be one of only a few persons of color. Resiliency: Success isn't just about trying hard. Scholars need a clear understanding of the barriers they might face as high achieving students of color, while possessing the confidence that they have the talent, tools and resources to overcome those barriers. Scholarly Engagement: Much of the work of the fourteen months is focused on teaching scholars how to “do school" well. In addition to learning the ins and outs of middle school life, scholars will learn to manage their time, stay organized, be responsible for their learning, advocate for themselves with their teachers, work effectively in groups and give their best efforts. At Rainier Scholars, we believe one's education, aspirations and life possibilities need not be determined by birthright but rather by hard work and determination.

Rainier Scholars was founded in 2000 and serves those students with the greatest number of barriers to achieving a college education – students of color from low-income backgrounds who will be the first in their family to earn a college degree. Integral to the success of Rainier Scholars is our strong and dedicated staff team. Currently, we have 34 full-time and 1 part-time staff. Each program phase has a staff team, and the Director of each phase serves on our Leadership Team alongside the Executive and Associate Executive Directors. The Director of our Development and Marketing Team and the head of our Mental Health Team also serve on the Leadership Team. Rainier Scholars employs staff members who are highly specialized to serve important roles necessary to support our scholars, including a Mental Health Team and Directors of College Counseling, Placement, and Recruiting. We intentionally recruit diverse employees with a high level of cultural competency to best serve our students. Staff regularly are assigned readings to understand evolving studies on child development and what it means to be culturally competent. Several members of the Leadership Team have dedicated over a decade of service to the organization. We have a deeply committed and highly-effective Board of Trustees who guide, advise, supervise, manage and evaluate the work of the Executive Director as well as operate multiple functional committees including Executive, Finance, Development, Trustee, Audit and Marketing. The Board ensures the financial health and sustainability of the organization while also setting relevant policies and procedures to guide the work of the staff. We believe in the individual and systemic change which is possible when low-income students of color are provided an opportunity to break generational cycles of poverty and have access to the highest-quality educational opportunities available. As our students continue to emerge with college degrees, the likelihood that the next generation will take a step up the economic, professional and educational ladder multiplies tenfold, benefitting all and creating an ever more just society in the process.

Rainier Scholars provides academic preparation, leadership development, and comprehensive support in order to increase college graduation rates for low-income students of color and to develop tomorrow's leaders. Our baseline measures of success include our placement rate, retention, student achievement, leadership engagement, and college admission and graduation rates. In addition, each program phase has identified measurable outcomes as scholars navigate their educational journey. Academic Enrichment • Develop skills for academic success (organization, time management, accountability, self-advocacy, risk taking and collaborative learning) • Prepare students for academic rigor in college preparatory programs • Achieve 90%+ placement in advanced learning programs or independent schools Academic Counseling & Support (Middle School) • Increase skills for academic success and maintain high levels of student achievement • Achieve 90%+ scholar retention • Achieve 90%+ placement in High School college prep programs Leadership Development (High School) • Enhance leadership skills, increasing participation in leadership activities in school & community • Increase skills for professional workplace success • Prepare students for college success and achieve 100% college admissions College Support • 95%+ scholars matriculate to four year colleges • 90% +participate in campus activities and leadership positions • Students graduate with a clear first step in career plan and/or graduate school opportunities At Rainier Scholars, the goal is always 100% college graduation, no matter what the statistics or odds may be. Currently, 93% of our scholars have graduated or are on track to graduate from a four-year college or university. The full cycle of the Rainier Scholars model seeks to ensure a “generational transfer of opportunity" which ripples with an impact well beyond the individual scholars with whom we work.

We currently serve over 700 students of color and their families, representing 17 cohorts. Over 89% of Rainier Scholars qualify as low income while 90% come from households without a college degree. The demographic we seek to serve are those most underrepresented on college campuses – African American, Hispanic Latino, first generation Asian Americans, Native American and Pacific Islanders. Rainier Scholars has experienced success in achieving our mission including: • 98% of scholars have earned placement into college preparatory programs • 85% of our scholars hold leadership roles in school and community settings • 99% of our scholars have been admitted to 4-year colleges and universities, with 95% having multiple college options • 93% of our scholars have graduated or are on track to graduate from a 4-year college or university Rainier Scholars is committed to continual program development and ongoing improvement in all aspects of our work. Our constant drive for improvement is rooted in the desire to serve our scholars and families with integrity and effectiveness. Our Board of Trustees share this commitment to improvement. In Spring 2018, they will complete a cultural competency training to better inform their decisions that directly impact the families we serve. While our results have been very strong in our first 16 years, rigorous data analysis, research and anecdotal observations identified some clear opportunities to better serve our students, families and the greater Seattle community. These are addressed with the following key program initiatives in our current 5-year strategic plan, Vision 2020: • 1-Year Earlier Start – Begin our program 1-year earlier to prepare scholars for placement into 6th grade independent and highly capable/advanced learning programs within the Seattle Public Schools and other partner districts. We are confident the 1-year earlier start will result in increased opportunities for placement, academic achievement, stronger affinity held by students in their respective schools and overall stronger college placement outcomes. • Multi-Generational African American (MGAA) Initiative – Increase both the numbers of qualified MGAA candidates in the recruitment pool as well as the success of our retention efforts once MGAA students are in the program. • Career Pathways – Increase our efforts to provide early and recurrent exposure to various career pathways, including STEM. Vision 2020 was adopted by the Board of Trustees in 2015. It reflects the culmination of in-depth program analysis, dozens of stakeholder feedback sessions and much discernment and discussion among Board and Staff leadership as to the organization's future direction and emphasis. Through this plan, we are becoming better at ensuring access to transformative educational opportunities for low-income students of color – breaking cycles of family poverty and creating new generations of diverse, ethical and effective leaders for our community.