Educating Young Minds helps push students through college pipeline

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Juliana D. Norwood  |   OW Staff Writer

New website expands organization’s efforts

Educating Young Minds (EYM), a nonprofit corporation, is also a multicultural learning environment where at-risk students are nurtured to help them grow academically, emotionally and socially. The organization’s mission is to empower young people with the skills, ability and confidence to enroll in, succeed at, and graduate from college.

Over the past 24 years, EYM’s tutorial, scholarship, networking and counseling services have made a real and lasting difference in the lives of thousands of young people. The organization strives to educate these students through their five primary programs:

• The Home-study or Independent Study program is designed for students who need an alternative to public and private schools. Following a curriculum supplied by local school districts or private schools, each student receives credits and grades while attending EYM. The teachers also provide supplemental education, using both individual and small classroom instruction.

• The After-school Program provides academic assistance and support with schoolwork and tests in English, math (basic math through calculus), sciences, foreign languages, and others, allowing for monitoring of grades and behavior. EYM creates supplemental learning material and assistance, tailored to each child’s particular needs.

• The Saturday Program provides classes for standardized tests, the ISEE, the SSAT, the new SAT, and the ACT college entrance exam. EYM also provides Saturday classes for students in need of remediation in English and mathematics.

• The Summer Program provides classes that focus on fundamental academic and classroom skills. With small classes and a student/teacher ratio of 5-to-1, EYM can remediate and advance students through progressive math and English levels.

• The College Scholarship Program provides four-year financial assistance of $6,000 to $10,000 and laptop computers to graduating EYM students. This program also provides financial-aid workshops, as well as assistance with personal statements and college applications.

Additionally, EYM announced a partnership with West Los Angeles College and Nestle, to share Access/No Excuse, its new interactive online academic and career development search engine.

“Access/No Excuse will expand the reach and vision of the organization’s programs and address academic, vocational and outreach opportunities for students worldwide,” said founder Angeles Echols. “It is our responsibility to teach them where we can reach them. EYM is proud to be a leader in bridging the gap, in the classroom and online between teachers and students, colleges and scholars, ideas and inventors, and employers and prospects.”

The public is encouraged to join in the three-day Worldwide Weekend Celebration of Access/No Excuse on June 17-19, 2011. West Los Angeles College, as the title sponsor for the event, will host interactive exhibits, designed to excite, motivate and encourage students (age 12-17) and young adults (age 18-27) of all ethnicities and economic levels so that they will know what is expected of them when they seek employment opportunities.

For more information on Educating Young Minds, visit the organization’s website at www.educatingyoungminds.org.

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