Closing the Gap
INSPIRING STUDENTS TO ACHIEVE THROUGH PREPARATION, EDUCATION, & VOCATION
Recognizing the need to address the academic achievement gap, Delegata CEO/President, Kais Menoufy, alongside a group of leaders in the Sacramento community, formed Closing the Gap (CTG). CTG is a non profit organization dedicated to helping the youth in our community who have limited resources reach their highest potential through Preparation, Education, and Vocation.
Closing the Gap assists education oriented organizations, agencies, and institutions in closing the achievement gap. The strategy is to raise awareness of the critical lapse in the education of America’s children while raising funds to help students at the local level reach their utmost potential.
PREPARATION
Preparation focuses on the development of students while they are still in high school. Closing the Gap is fostering student’s growth and increasing their potential to succeed by its involvement in several programs such as the Magnet Academy and Project S.A.V.E (Safe Alternatives and Violence Education). There are currently 169 students enrolled in Magnet Academy programs from Grant Union, Hiram W. Johnson, John F. Kennedy, and C.K. McClatchy High School. The Magnet Academy programs offer criminal justice education and career path options for its students as well as life coaching. The life coaching program allows each student to work with a college counselor once a week to review curriculum, extra curricular activities, as well as undergo a thorough SAT prep course. Project S.A.V.E. served 120 students and 120 parents in the past year with a 98% success rate. An intensive early intervention program for adolescent first time offenders, Project S.A.V.E. demonstrates that by intervening at the first sign of problem behavior we can significantly change the long term outcomes for youth.
EDUCATION
Education is enabled through scholarships which provide opportunities for students to attend local community colleges and state universities. While the state does provide financial aid there are still many students who do not qualify for assistance and cannot afford to attend college. With Closing the Gap’s assistance, the Magnet Academy programs have funded 15 scholarships for students to attend the SAT prep course work and put forth $35,000 towards college scholarships to graduating students to pursue a college education. Through Closing the Gap, we fund scholarships for students to attend college as well as cover book expenses.
VOCATION
Vocation is offered through internships for college students and new graduates. These internships provide an opportunity for students to earn wages while gaining valuable work experience. In high school, students participate in the program as Public Service Aids while in college, students become Student Trainees. In addition, internships can serve as the vehicle to securing full time employment and the necessary experience for advancement in the work force.
By supporting local organizations that provide tutoring, college counseling, career guidance, and real world experience to students from the 8th grade level up, Closing the Gap increases student’s academic performance in preparation for college, a successful career, and a bright future.
Please join in our efforts to build a better Sacramento and inspire our youth to achieve. You can help by nominating a student to News10’s Student of the Month, becoming a fan of our Facebook page, and increasing the awareness of the achievement gap.
For more information, please visit www.closingthegapusa.org
