Changing student lives in Baltimore
Since 2014, the Yleana Leadership Foundation has served close to 1000 total students from Baltimore. This includes students who have attended our flagship summer program, our Baltimore SAT program, our middle school career exploration experience, and our direct support of individual schools. We are so proud to be part of moving the needle in Baltimore’s educational landscape!
Quick Facts: YLA Baltimore Students
70% will be first generation college-goers
61% come from single parent households
10% were born outside of the United States
6% speak a language other than English as their primary language
Have an average annual family income of $36,845
88% identify as African, Black or African-American, or Afro-Caribbean
98% students of color
YLA College Persistence
80% of reporting YLA Baltimore students matriculated to a 4-year college
Of those, 97% are on track to graduate or have graduated
Of the students who have already graduated, 83% graduated in 4 years or fewer
Average annual financial assistance and scholarships package for Baltimore students: $32,962
Our Baltimore students improved an average of 145 points overall in their time at the Yleana Leadership Academy (2016-2020).
YLA 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 45% of Baltimore students historically met the College Board benchmark for verbal scores. Only 10% met the math benchmark. By the end of the program, 86% of Baltimore students met the verbal benchmark and 45% 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 Baltimore-based schools and organizations:
Baltimore City Public Schools
Augusta Fells Savage Institute of Visual Arts
Baltimore Leadership School for Young Women
Baltimore Polytechnic Institute
Baltimore SquashWise
Bard Early College High School
Benjamin Franklin High School
Building STEPS
Carver Vocational Technical High School
Coppin Academy
Cristo Rey Jesuit High School
Green Street Academy
I Am O'Kah! Inc.
KIPP Baltimore KIPP Through College
Mergenthaler-Vocational Technical High School
National Academy Foundation
Paul Laurence Dunbar High School
REACH! Partnership School
Reginald F. Lewis High School
Saint Frances Academy
Soccer Without Borders
St. Timothy's School
The Intersection
The SEED School of Maryland
Vivien T. Thomas Medical Arts Academy
Western High School
“I love Yleana. It is a wonderful program I would recommend to any and everyone. And love that it’s more than just a SAT program and how y’all had classes like issues, entrepreneurship, and enrichment. And the lessons y’all teach us will be instilled in us for a lifetime.”