More Than Bootstraps

Overview Mission Initiatives

Organization Overview

Website

https://www.morethanbootstraps.org/

Location

Passaic, New Jersey

Social Media

EIN

83-2245008

Guidestar

Link to Profile

Charity Navigator

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Organization Mission

More Than Bootstraps builds a community of first-generation, underrepresented students who empower each other to access and succeed in higher education.

Audience Served

We obtained our 501(c)(3) in 2019 and selected the Passaic Public Schools, the seventh-lowest income district in New Jersey (median household income $36,226), as our initial partner. Passaic’s student body is made up of groups underrepresented in higher education: low-income, Latinx, and first-generation. Historically, these students matriculate at local, public Pell-serving institutions. Unfortunately, these institutions have an average six-year graduation rate of 39%. In other words, more than half of the ambitious, enterprising students who find their way from communities like Passaic into higher education find themselves in debt and without a degree at the end of six years.

Cause(s) Supported

Diversity & Inclusion

Education

Gender Equality & Justice

Women's Issues

Youth Development

Job Development

Organization Initiatives

These are the Initiatives that

More Than Bootstraps

has listed on the Verbate marketplace for funding.

Leader Training Program - Fund One Leader

Initiative Description

Train our college student Leaders to work as mentors with their near-peers, our high school Fellows

Leader Training Program - Fund Five Leaders

Initiative Description

Train our college student Leaders to work as mentors with their near-peers, our high school Fellows

Summer Reading Program

Initiative Description

In Summer 2021, we inaugurated our summer reading program during the month of July. Our college student Leaders led our high school Fellows in an ongoing discussion of a novel about a first-generation college student (Make Your Home Among Strangers). Over the course of five meetings, the students were able to 1) experience a relatively independent reading assignment along the lines of college class, 2) continue their conversations about higher education and build their understanding of the hidden curriculum of higher education under the guise of the discussion of a novel, and 3) stay connected to their MTB community. We are requesting $1595 to continue this program for both the rising senior high school Fellows and rising college student Leaders in our program in Summer 2022. Please view a video of last year's program: https://youtu.be/u9-VLDgEiaY.