Close to 600 students and more than 300 volunteer mentors are involved in Broward County’s Take Stock in Children (TSIC) program. As part of their commitment, mentors spend a minimum of 30 minutes per week mentoring at schools with their students, and ongoing training of mentors takes place throughout the year. Students are selected in middle and high school based on financial need as well as certain academic criteria. If they follow the regulations of the program and meet regularly with their mentors, upon graduation from high school, TSIC provides them a college tuition scholarship.
Every TSIC scholar signs a contract promising to:
-Maintain a “C” or higher in all classes
-Maintain good attendance and behavior
-Remain drug-free and crime-free
-Meet with their mentor on a weekly basis
TSIC helps students to achieve academic success:
-All of our scholars have a 2.0 GPA or higher
-75% of our scholars have a GPA of 3.0 or higher
-44% of our scholars have a GPA of 3.5 or higher
-96% of our scholars have less than four unexcused absences per quarter
-74% of our scholars have had NO disciplinary incidents
TSIC provides college readiness and retention:
-95% of 2012 high school graduates are currently enrolled in a higher education institution
-Only 13% of 2012 high school graduates required remedial courses in college
(compared to the national average of 40%, and Florida’s average of 54%)
-87% of 2011 high school graduates are continued in their second year of college