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Over the course of a working lifetime, a college graduate can expect to earn $1 million more than a high school graduate — evidence of the link between education and economic self-sufficiency.
Founded in 1995 on the belief that everyone deserves the chance to succeed, the East Lake Foundation worked with residents and public/private partners to develop a new community on the site of the former East Lake Meadows public housing project.
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| Belk Southern Division Chair, Dave Penrod, stands with East Lake's First Tee participants. Belk, Inc. hosted a golf outing in July 2010. |
Strategic and cooperative partnerships transformed one of the national’s most distressed public housing projects into a national model for a thriving, mixed-income community. The community includes a mixed income apartment community, Atlanta’s first charter school, a YMCA, and a family center, as well as the renowned Charlie Yates Golf Course.
The East Lake Foundation has a strong focus on education. Drew Charter School, serving students age 3 through grade 8, has led the children of East Lake to achieve academic results rivaling their suburban peers, with 94% of Drew Charter School students meeting or exceeding state standards for reading and 84% meeting or exceeding state standards for math.
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| The Belk Foundation invested $30,000 in Drew Charter School's Literacy Center. |
Learn more about the East Lake Foundation and its programs, including the Drew Charter School and CREW Teens.
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Grant: $30,000 to support CREW Teens
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The Belk Foundation invested $30,000 in CREW Teens in May 2010.
After the 8th grade, Drew Charter School students hope to secure scholarships to attend private schools or placement at a charter high school, while many attend the nearby public high school. Continuing their commitment to the academic success of East Lake youth, the East Lake Foundation established CREW (Creating Responsible, Educated, and Working) Teens in 2006 to prepare youth to excel in high school and beyond.
Since 97% of CREW Teens participants will be the first in their families to attend college, the program is a critical resource for access to tutoring, standardized test preparation, career information, mentoring and college-preparation and planning.
Over the first few years of the program, CREW Teens has helped its participants increase test scores and graduation rates, attract almost $2 million in scholarships, and attend more than 30 colleges.
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