Changing student lives in Philadelphia
Since 2015, we have served 77 total students from Philadelphia in our flagship summer program.
Quick Facts: Philadelphia Students
70% will be first generation college-goers
67% come from single parent households
28% were born outside of the United States
36% speak a language other than English as their primary language
Have an average annual family income of $29,444
62% identify as African, Black or African-American, or Afro-Caribbean
99% students of color
College Persistence
90% of reporting YLA Philadelphia students matriculated to a 4-year college
Of those, 95% are on track to graduate or have graduated
Of the students who have already graduated, 100% graduated in 4 years or fewer
Average annual financial assistance and scholarships package for Philadelphia students: $29,353
Our Philadelphia students improved an average of 154 points overall in their time at the Yleana Leadership Academy (2016-2020).
College Board Benchmarks
The College Board’s College and Career Readiness benchmarks are 480 Verbal and 530 Math. Students who score at or above these benchmarks are considered to be college- and career-ready.
At the beginning of the program, only 42% of Philadelphia students historically met the College Board benchmark for verbal scores. Only 24% met the math benchmark. By the end of the program, 84% of Philadelphia students met the verbal benchmark and 49% met the math benchmark.
1000 Threshold
The redesigned SAT exam is scored on a scale of 1600. Getting a score of 1000 or higher often makes all the difference for students from under-represented communities. From more scholarship money to more college acceptances to more merit aid to being considered for more prestigious colleges, reaching the 1000 threshold unlocks enormous benefits for our students.
Partner Organizations
Over the years, Yleana has partnered with the following Philadelphia-based schools and organizations:
12Plus
Academies at Roxborough
Furness High School
George Washington Carver High School of Engineering and Science
John Bartram High School
Kensington CAPA
Kensington High School
MaST Community Charter School
Olney Charter High School
Parkway Center City High School
Paul Robeson High School
Philadelphia Education Fund
“Yleana has inspired me more to believe that I can do and be anyone I want to be. My experience here has motivated me to go after everything I want in life and - no matter how tough it gets - never give up.”