The Achievement Initiative (AI) partners with three struggling local public high schools to provide comprehensive student support services and family engagement. We are a school-based model and have F/T licensed social workers in each of our partner schools. We work during the school day and after-school, and host a July summer program. Graduate social work students are placed at each school to complete their field placement experience and we recruit Columbia undergrad/grad students to provide tutoring, mentoring and other support services to students. As a program, we provide individual and group counseling to students, academic support services, service learning opportunities, leadership development, college and workforce exploration and preparation, professional development to school staff, and family engagement. We use a social work lens to support the social and emotional wellness of students to encourage their engagement in and graduation from high school.
