What We Make Possible
Our Impact | Student Portraits | Alumni Stories | COVID Stories
Upward Scholars invites you to review our 2023 Impact. In the report, you'll learn about our impact since 2010 and all the ways in which we've stretched to support our students and their families.
Upward Scholars is successful when our students are successful, and success can look different for every student. For some, success could mean getting accepted into a four-year university; for others, success could mean being able to communicate with their child’s teacher, getting a new business off the ground, or advancing in their current career.
We trust our students to define success for themselves, and we stick with our students for as long as it takes. We don’t give up on them as long as they don’t give up on their dreams. Read about our students here and our alumni here.
Upward Scholars: 10 Years of Impact
Upward Scholars helps students move up the economic ladder.
Some students move from low-wage occupations into middle-wage occupations that pay between $18 and $30 per hour. Others start their own businesses or earn certificates in areas such as medical assisting or bookkeeping. A few earn associate degrees and transfer to four-year universities.
Upward Scholars students are stronger, more confident parents.
The adults Upward Scholars serves become role models and better advocates for their own children – paying it forward for generations to come. Fifty-two percent of Upward Scholars’ students are parents, and 96 percent say they help their children more with homework. All say they are better able to communicate with their children’s teachers.
Upward Scholars student success leads to success for everyone in our community.
Educating low-income adults is an investment in the human capital of our region and generates net gains in the form of increased tax revenues, lower social welfare payments, and greater civic engagement.