Formation 2005 Headquarters Seattle Type Nonprofit organization | Executive Director Susan Mitchell Main organ Board of directors | |
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College Access Now (CAN) is a non-profit organization based in Seattle. Its mission is to empower students from low-income families to access, enroll, and graduate from college at rates equal to their more advantaged peers. 94% of CAN’s students are the first in their families to pursue a college degree.
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History and Mission
CAN was founded in 2005 and initially served 29 high school students at Garfield High School. The organization has expanded to serve high school juniors and seniors at six high schools in Seattle, and now also provides support to its students through college graduation. CAN now serves 960 students: 560 high school students and 400 high school graduates and college students.
Low-income, first-generation students face many barriers to college admission and graduation. Nationally, low-income, first-generation students are nearly four times more likely to leave college after their first year than students who have neither of these risk factors, and enroll in college at a rate of only 52% (compared to 82% of high-income high school graduates).
Activities and Success
Through its high school program, CAN’s staff works with juniors and seniors to help them identify colleges, prepare for standardized tests, and complete college and financial aid applications. Since its founding, 97% of CAN students have been accepted to at least one college, and 85% have enrolled in college.
In 2012, CAN launched its College Persistence Program which offers formal support to students for up to six years of post-secondary education. Its summer support series "Campus Ready!" helps CAN's high school graduates build skills to succeed in college.
CAN's team of 20 AmeriCorps members forms the core of the high school and college persistence programs. As part of this national service program, AmeriCorps members commit to serving 1700 hours of service over a 10- or 12-month term. During their service at CAN, members build one-on-one relationships with students, mentor them through the college application process, and help them overcome other obstacles on their way to a college degree.
CAN’s work has been recognized on a regional level. In March 2014, CAN was recognized in the Community Center for Education Results’ Road Map Project Award Program as one of seven organizations to receive a Special Recognition Award for “working to advance equity and reduce opportunity gaps in the Road Map region of King County.”